Rule out means to decide that something is impossible or unsuitable. A small budget rules out a bigger hall. In the negative it gets subtler: We can't rule out a delay means a delay is possible. Politicians and doctors love this answer when they want neither to promise nor to refuse.
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rule out a possibility; rule something out; rule out + -ing
- The budget rules out renting a larger hall.
- We cannot rule out a second meeting next week.
- The inspection ruled the old wiring out as the cause.
What changed
First versionWe have not ruled out to move the event indoors.
RevisionWe have not ruled out moving the event indoors.
Many verbs about plans take to: decide to move, plan to move. So ruled out to move seems to fit. But after rule out you use a noun or an -ing form: ruled out moving. A pronoun goes inside: rule it out.
Exclude means leave out of a list or group: exclude him from the team. Rule out means remove as a possibility: rule out a second meeting, rule out the old wiring as the cause. A doctor rules out a diagnosis rather than excluding it.
Your turn
Choose the form for an option under consideration: We cannot rule out ___ the opening date.
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changing — After rule out, an action takes the -ing form: rule out changing the date. To change can't follow rule out.
Describe a holiday, move or purchase option you had to rule out, and say why.
The narrow entrance rules out bringing the piano in without removing the door.
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