rub off
To come off a surface when you rub it, or to move from one surface to another by touching.
Meanings
Of a substance or marking: to be removed from a surface by rubbing.
"The writing on the whiteboard rubs off easily with a dry cloth."
To remove a mark or substance from a surface by rubbing.
"She tried to rub off the lipstick stain from her collar."
Of paint, ink, or dye: to transfer from one surface to another by contact.
"Be careful with that newspaper — the ink rubs off onto your fingers."
The intransitive sense (paint rubbed off) is very common. The transitive sense (she rubbed off the mark) is equally natural. Often heard about ink, paint, dirt, or chalk transferring from one surface to another.
Commonly used with
Forms
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