transitive verb
1.
a. : to exclude or eliminate
was ruled out on a technicality that required members to be experienced lawyers — Current Biography
rule such subjective and moral judgments out of our biology — A.L.Kroeber
b. : to eliminate as a possibility
a positive diagnosis can be made only after ruling out gastric and duodenal ulcer — H.G.Armstrong
2. : to make impossible : prevent
heavy rain ruled the picnic out for that day
Synonyms: see exclude