rule out

from Wiktionary, Creative Commons Attribution/Share-Alike License.

• verb transitive To cross an item out by drawing a straight line through it, as with a ruler.
• verb idiomatic, transitive To reject an option from a list of possibilities.
• verb idiomatic, transitive To make something impossible.
• verb transitive to disallow

from WordNet 3.0 Copyright 2006 by Princeton University. All rights reserved.

• verb include or exclude by determining judicially or in agreement with rules
• verb make impossible, especially beforehand
• verb dismiss from consideration or a contest