as in to erase
to destroy all traces of
when the supply ship finally arrived, it discovered that virtually all evidence of the colony at Roanoke had been effaced
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to
show current usage.
Read More
Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors.
Send us feedback.
Recent Examples of efface
Each offers a lesson for tomorrow’s leaders who want to leverage this technology without effacing the human touch.
—
Michael Ashley, Forbes.com, 20 Feb. 2026
The leaps in time have the eerie effect of effacing time—the layered succession of images implying their simultaneity in Lidia’s mind.
—Richard Brody, New Yorker, 13 Jan. 2026
This collection represents his earnest and thrilling mission to efface the line between poetry and prose, to introduce us to the possibility that each is affirmed and made complete by the other.
—Emma Alpern, Vulture, 2 Dec. 2025
Too many passages elsewhere live in a prose flat as freshly milled oak planks:
Those traces of my youth
Were not effaced by the momentum of the seasons
Only.
—William Logan, New York Times, 11 Apr. 2025
See All Example Sentences for efface
Michael Ashley, Forbes.com, 20 Feb. 2026
The leaps in time have the eerie effect of effacing time—the layered succession of images implying their simultaneity in Lidia’s mind.
—Richard Brody, New Yorker, 13 Jan. 2026
This collection represents his earnest and thrilling mission to efface the line between poetry and prose, to introduce us to the possibility that each is affirmed and made complete by the other.
—Emma Alpern, Vulture, 2 Dec. 2025
Too many passages elsewhere live in a prose flat as freshly milled oak planks:
Those traces of my youth
Were not effaced by the momentum of the seasons
Only.
—William Logan, New York Times, 11 Apr. 2025
See All Example Sentences for efface
Recent Examples of Synonyms for efface
Verb
-
After Orlando squandered a chance on the counterattack, Philadelphia capitalized in transition to erase the remaining deficit.—
Kyle Foley,
The Orlando Sentinel,
14 May 2026
-
Lehmann considers the contested history of Anne Boleyn, the outlandish accusations against her, and the ways in which her image has been erased and changed over time.—
Fiction Non Fiction,
Literary Hub,
14 May 2026
Verb
-
Armed with a forestry degree from Yale, Leopold was tasked with running a program to eradicate wolves and mountain lions in New Mexico and Arizona.—
Mark VanderSchaaf,
Twin Cities,
18 May 2026
-
Pakistan and neighboring Afghanistan remain the only countries where polio has not been eradicated, according to the World Health Organization.—
ABC News,
ABC News,
18 May 2026
Verb
-
Let’s go down memory lane and recall that the 13th Amendment is abolishing slavery and involuntary servitude.—
Ann Marie Luft,
The Orlando Sentinel,
14 May 2026
-
The Deep is just going through it in this episode, starting with the news that Homelander is abolishing the Seven.—
Ben Rosenstock,
Vulture,
13 May 2026
Cite this Entry
“Efface.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/efface. Accessed 20 May. 2026.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
