rub sth down
— phrasal verb with rub uk/rʌb/us/rʌb/verb [ I or T ] -bb-
to rub something with a rough cloth, brush, or paper until its surface is smooth, or clean and shiny:
Rub the wood down with fine sandpaper until it is smooth.
We rubbed the walls down with soap and hot water.
Thesaurus: synonyms and related words
Making things more or less smooth or straight
- bunch
- bunch (sth) up
- coarsen
- collapse
- creased
- crinkle
- crumple
- fold
- furl
- pucker
- pumice stone
- roll sth up
- roughen
- sand
- sleek
- sleek back/down
- smooth
- steady
- straighten
- straighten up
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You can also find related words, phrases, and synonyms in the topics:
Polishing & polishes