The term 'root out' is a phrase used to describe the act of removing something from its source. It can be done in a variety of ways, such as eradicating, destroying, extirpating, exterminating, digging up, or uptearing. ERADICATE means to completely remove or DESTROY something, while DESTROY means to ruin or damage something beyond repair. EXTIRPATE means to remove or DESTROY something completely, while EXTERMINATE means to completely DESTROY or get rid of something. Dig up means to uncover something by digging, and uptear means to tear something apart. All of these words are used to describe the act of removing something from its source.