as in to erase
to destroy all traces of
time and the weather have expunged any evidence that a thriving community once existed here
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Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of expunge
In 2021, an Alabama family court judge granted Colvin's petition to expunge her record.
—
Adam Carlson, PEOPLE, 14 Jan. 2026
Rinehart said that any charges related to those and other incidents may have been sealed or expunged.
—Kevin Grasha, Cincinnati Enquirer, 12 Dec. 2025
There is even evidence in Emily’s letters to Austin that someone, probably Loomis Todd, sought to expunge affectionate references to Susan.
—Via Chronicle Books, Literary Hub, 11 Dec. 2025
Likewise, any major creator of AI models unwittingly instills biases in its chatbots that are then difficult to expunge.
—Matteo Wong, The Atlantic, 21 Nov. 2025
See All Example Sentences for expunge
Adam Carlson, PEOPLE, 14 Jan. 2026
Rinehart said that any charges related to those and other incidents may have been sealed or expunged.
—Kevin Grasha, Cincinnati Enquirer, 12 Dec. 2025
There is even evidence in Emily’s letters to Austin that someone, probably Loomis Todd, sought to expunge affectionate references to Susan.
—Via Chronicle Books, Literary Hub, 11 Dec. 2025
Likewise, any major creator of AI models unwittingly instills biases in its chatbots that are then difficult to expunge.
—Matteo Wong, The Atlantic, 21 Nov. 2025
See All Example Sentences for expunge
Recent Examples of Synonyms for expunge
Verb
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In Josh Safdie’s feverish ping-pong epic, Marty (Timothée Chalamet) breaks from his benefactor, pen tycoon Milton Rockwell (Kevin O’Leary), risking everything to erase an old defeat.—
Daron James,
Los Angeles Times,
11 Feb. 2026
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There are still many in this country who value truth, who believe that history should be preserved and not erased, who understand that constitutional rights should not be swept away to suit the whims of a megalomaniac, and who refuse to wallow in ignorance and hate.—
DP Opinion,
Denver Post,
11 Feb. 2026
Verb
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The outbreaks have mostly impacted children and have come as infectious disease experts warn that rising public distrust of vaccines generally may be contributing to the spread of a disease once declared eradicated by public health officials.—
Matt Brown,
Fortune,
10 Feb. 2026
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The outbreaks have mostly affected children and have come as infectious disease experts warn that rising public distrust of vaccines generally may be contributing to the spread of a disease once declared eradicated by public health officials.—
Arkansas Online,
Arkansas Online,
9 Feb. 2026
Verb
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Hindley, Catherine’s elder brother, is abolished entirely — his vices reassigned to the father.—
Ana Gutierrez,
Austin American Statesman,
11 Feb. 2026
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Nexstar is seeking a waiver from the FCC from the 39% cap, while the agency is considering whether to raise that threshold or abolish it altogether.—
Ted Johnson,
Deadline,
10 Feb. 2026
Verb
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More than 12,000 scrolls were once stored inside this second-century center of learning before a fire destroyed them in 262 CE.—
Maureen O'Hare,
CNN Money,
9 Feb. 2026
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Feeling bored, resentful and trapped by domestic life, Hedda hatches a plan to destroy her husband’s potential career rival, Eilert Lovberg, who happens to be her ex-lover.—
Pam Kragen,
San Diego Union-Tribune,
8 Feb. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Expunge.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/expunge. Accessed 16 Feb. 2026.
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