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
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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
-
Sad memories of last year — when Wooten lost a tiebreaker in her state championship singles match to hand Palmetto the title — are all but erased.—
Buddy Collings,
The Orlando Sentinel,
29 Apr. 2026
-
Nile Rodgers songs have a way of erasing distinctions between the two.—
New York Times,
New York Times,
28 Apr. 2026
Verb
-
Long-term Management Strategies The best way to completely eradicate ground ivy from your lawn and garden is through constant monitoring and removal methods.—
Mary Marlowe Leverette,
Southern Living,
26 Apr. 2026
-
An invasive worm species is causing problems in the state, and the Colorado Department of Agriculture is asking residents to help eradicate it.—
Maria Braganini,
CBS News,
25 Apr. 2026
Verb
-
In April 2025, a motley crew gathered in New York City for a conference at Columbia University on abolishing the infinite.—
Quanta Magazine,
Quanta Magazine,
29 Apr. 2026
-
Connecticut did not abolish enslaving people until 1848.—
Staff Report,
Hartford Courant,
27 Apr. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Efface.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/efface. Accessed 30 Apr. 2026.
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