Collins COBUILD Advanced Learner's English Dictionary - root out

1. If you root out a person, you find them and force them from the place they are in, usually in order to punish them. The generals have to root out traitors... It shouldn’t take too long to root him out. PHRASAL VERB: V P n (not pron), V n P 2. If you root out a problem or an unpleasant situation, you find out who or what is the cause of it and put an end to it. There would be a major drive to root out corruption... PHRASAL VERB: V P n (not pron)