delete vs rub out

delete and rub out both are verbs.

Word	Noun	Adjective	Verb	Adverb
delete	No	No	Yes	No
rub out	No	No	Yes	No

As verbs, rub out is a hyponym of delete; that is, rub out is a word with a more specific, narrower meaning than delete:

Other hyponyms of delete include efface, erase, score out, wipe off, excise, expunge, scratch, strike.

delete (verb)	rub out (verb)
cut or eliminate	remove by or as if by rubbing or erasing
wipe out digitally or magnetically recorded information
remove or make invisible