efface

ef·face

transitive verb \i-ˈfās, e-\

ef·facedef·fac·ing

Definition of EFFACE

1

: to eliminate or make indistinct by or as if by wearing away a surface <coins with dates effaced by wear>; also : to cause to vanish <daylight effaced the stars>

2

: to make (oneself) modestly or shyly inconspicuous

— ef·face·able \-ˈfā-sə-bəl\ adjective

— ef·face·ment \-ˈfās-mənt\ noun

— ef·fac·er noun

Examples of EFFACE

1. coins with dates effaced by wear
2. a memory effaced by time

Origin of EFFACE

Middle English, from Anglo-French esfacer, effacer, from e- + face face

First Known Use: 15th century

Related to EFFACE

Synonyms

abolish, black out, blot out, cancel, clean (up), annihilate, eradicate, erase, expunge, exterminate, extirpate, liquidate, obliterate, root (out), rub out, snuff (out), stamp (out), sweep (away), wipe out

Related Words

decimate, demolish, destroy, devastate, ravage; dismantle, flatten, mow (down), raze, tear down; ruin, total, waste, wreck; blast, blow up, dash, dynamite, smash; atomize, consume, devour, dissolve, fragment, powder, pulverize, shatter, splinter; doom, finish, kill, kill off, terminate, zap; cancel, cut, discard, ditch, eject, excise, expel, jettison, oust, throw out

Near Antonyms

conserve, preserve, protect, save; build, construct, create, fabricate, fashion, forge, form, frame, make, manufacture, shape; fix, mend, patch, rebuild, recondition, reconstruct, renew, renovate, repair, restore, revamp

Rhymes with EFFACE

abase, airspace, Alsace, ambsace, apace, backspace, best-case, biface, birthplace, blackface, boldface, bookcase, bootlace, braincase, briefcase, clubface, crankcase, cyclase, debase, deface, disgrace, displace, dogface, doughface, embrace, emplace, encase, enchase, enlace, erase, euclase, firebase, fireplace, footpace, footrace, foreface, freebase, gyrase, half-space, hard case, headspace, hydrase, Jerez, kinase, lactase, lightface, lipase, lyase, maltase, manes, millrace, milreis, misplace, mutase, notecase, null-space, nutcase, outface, outpace, outrace, paleface, postface, Quilmes, replace, scapegrace, shoelace, showcase, showplace, slipcase, smearcase, someplace, staircase, subbase, subspace, suitcase, tailrace, tenace, typeface, ukase, unbrace, unlace, watchcase, wheelbase, whey-face, whiteface, workplace, worst-case