When faced with a difficult situation, we often come across a need to eliminate certain options or possibilities. To do so, we use the phrase "ruling out", which implies dismissing or eliminating something from consideration. However, using the same phrase repeatedly can become monotonous, and in such cases, we can resort to using synonyms. Some common alternatives to "ruling out" are "excluding", "eliminating", "dismissing", "rejecting", and "disregarding". These phrases add variety and clarity to your writing, and convey a more specific meaning, thus avoiding confusion. Using synonyms not only make your writing interesting but also can convey a more comprehensive and nuanced understanding of a topic to the readers.