etch 1 of 2

1
as in to engrave
to cut (as letters or designs) on a hard surface the artist etched his landscape on a copper plate

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2
as in to imprint
to produce a vivid impression of in just a few pages the writer etched an unforgettable portrait of one of the more remarkable First Ladies

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms

etch

2 of 2

noun

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 etch
Verb
The weapon in question was a longsword with words etched along its silver blade: From every trap be free, for every lock a key. Carly Tagen-Dye, People.com, 11 Apr. 2025 Oz: What happened that night is etched into my memory. Andy Greene, Rolling Stone, 9 Apr. 2025
Noun
Working with toolmakers, TSMC has used ever-smaller wavelengths to pattern and etch away silicon, shrinking the features left behind on its wafers. IEEE Spectrum, 3 Sep. 2024 Nanoimprint lithography stamps the chip’s design directly onto a silicon wafer, while EUV instead uses light to etch circuit patterns. Lionel Lim, Fortune Asia, 29 Jan. 2024 See All Example Sentences for etch
Recent Examples of Synonyms for etch
Verb
  • On Father’s Day in 2022, Jordan showed off a golf bag engraved with Sammy’s name and birthdate.
    Nasha Smith, People.com, 10 Apr. 2025
  • Bulova Pocket watch feature a case back engraved with the 150th Anniversary logo and are individually numbered.
    Bhanu Chopra, Forbes, 24 Mar. 2025
Noun
  • The etchings reveal plenty of traces of European pilgrims, too, including the autograph, dating back to the 1400s, of a German pilgrim named Johannes Poloner, who later wrote a detailed account of his journey to Jerusalem.
    Leslie Katz, Forbes.com, 18 Apr. 2025
  • The etchings reflect the 13-month lunar calendars the tribes used, with a different design on each of the 13 scales on a snapping turtle’s back.
    Doug Ross, Chicago Tribune, 5 Apr. 2025
Verb
  • The sculpture, which resembles a giant blood-red fingerprint, is inscribed with the names of 50 Apsáalooke chiefs who were coerced by the U.S. government into using their thumbprints to cede their tribal lands.
    Lauren Gallow, New York Times, 14 Apr. 2025
  • On the inside cover, his mother had inscribed a message to him.
    Sarah Stillman, New Yorker, 14 Apr. 2025
Noun
  • The work is based on an engraving of Lady Charlotte Mary Harley that accompanied an edition of Finden’s Illustrations of the Life and Works of Lord Byron.
    Eli Wizevich, Smithsonian Magazine, 16 Apr. 2025
  • An engraving notes the year it was installed: 1993.
    Jennifer Ludden, NPR, 6 Apr. 2025
Verb
  • At other times, a pithy quotation is like a tour guide handing you a delicious insight about the canyon, cathedral, or carving you’re gazing at.
    Chris John Amorosino, Hartford Courant, 26 Apr. 2025
  • Lawmakers in more than 30 states have carved out tax incentives for data center companies, arguing that without them, the data centers wouldn’t come—and that their presence is essential toward growing property and income tax revenue, and driving economic development.
    Andrew R. Chow, Time, 25 Apr. 2025
Verb
  • Despite their warmth and humanism, his films can sometimes seem scathing or pessimistic — tragic comedies sculpted from the granite of American life.
    Jordan Mintzer, HollywoodReporter, 24 Apr. 2025
  • This glowing cloud, colored by hydrogen and oxygen, is sculpted by powerful winds and radiation from a supremely hot, dying star at its center.
    Sharmila Kuthunur, Space.com, 24 Apr. 2025
Verb
  • Blackburn’s cellphone was traced near the lake, according to the outlets.
    Jonathan Limehouse, USA Today, 26 Apr. 2025
  • The initial cases were traced back to outbreaks in Texas and New Mexico.
    Thomas G. Moukawsher, MSNBC Newsweek, 24 Apr. 2025

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Cite this Entry

“Etch.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/etch. Accessed 29 Apr. 2025.

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