efface

ef·face

verb \i-ˈfās, e-\

ef·facedef·fac·ing

Definition of EFFACE

transitive verb

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

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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