Eliminate: To be eliminated means a team can go no further in a tournament and must return home. To eliminate a team means to knock out a team.
What does it mean?
Once a team has no mathematical chance of progressing – either from the group stage or a knockout round – they are eliminated. It’s the opposite of ‘to advance’ or ‘to qualify.’
Examples
- Turkey were eliminated after their second defeat of the tournament.
- A shock defeat saw the favourites eliminated in the last 32.
- They knew they were eliminated as soon as the final whistle blew.
Similar Words/Phrases
- To be knocked out
- To be dumped out of
- To crash out
Learn More
- Listen to our podcast from Day 9 of the 2026 World Cup
- Translate it or use it in a sentence (from the forum)
- Listen to our podcast on the language of elimination (from 2024)
