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to rub in
[phrase form: rub]
01
to insistently bring up a sensitive topic in conversation, causing discomfort to the person being discussed
Example
Please avoid rubbing in the embarrassing incident from last night; he's embarrassed enough as it is.
It 's essential not to rub in her failures; she's going through a tough time.
02
to combine fats and dry ingredients, typically flour, using a rubbing motion with the fingers or a pastry blender
Example
To make a flaky pie crust, you should rub in the cold butter into the flour until it resembles breadcrumbs.
The recipe calls for rubbing the butter into the flour until the mixture is crumbly before adding milk to make the dough.
