efface

verb ef·face \ i-ˈfās , e- \

Definition of efface

effaced; effacing

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

—

effaceable

play \i-ˈfā-sə-bəl, e-\ adjective

—

effacer

noun

See efface defined for English-language learners

See efface defined for kids

Examples of efface in a Sentence

coins with dates effaced by wear
a memory effaced by time

Recent Examples of efface from the Web

Gordon is still the anxiety-prone, self-effacing genius from the first season, buoyed now by money and a veneer of confidence instead of the stability of Donna's love.

— daniel fienberg, The Hollywood Reporter, "'Halt and Catch Fire' Season 4: TV Review," 19 Aug. 2017
The new, self-effacing CEO steered UnitedHealth past that problem, and through a period of unprecedented growth.

— shawn tully, Fortune, "Corporate Leaders Stand Up to Hate and Trump," 18 Aug. 2017
The contours of their personalities, which up until this point have been carefully limned, are effaced.

— peter rainer, The Christian Science Monitor, "In 'Detroit,' atrocity becomes numbing," 4 Aug. 2017
His absence, however long, raises the prospect of a Senate without its sometimes trash-talking, yet also self-effacing, senator from Arizona for the first time in more than three decades.

— Washington Post, "Cancer isn’t silencing McCain in career’s latest chapter," 20 July 2017
The 150-minute ceremony combined the serious with the self-effacing.

— dan kane and tim funk, charlotteobserver, "Episcopal Church in central NC gets new bishop," 15 July 2017
Much of it has to do with his personality, which is equal parts humility with an self-effacing charm.

— timothy finn, kansascity.com, "Ed Sheeran’s dynamic one-man show fills a sold-out Sprint Center with relentless energy," 30 June 2017
My friends and I who hold connection to Islam try to make the blow of our current political climate into self-effacing jokes.

— youth radio, Teen Vogue, "This Teen Responded to Nabra Hassanen's Death With An Essay," 28 June 2017
Her focus on seeking answers and being self-effacing about her own shortcomings is commendable.

— eve barlow, Billboard, "Katy Perry Wraps Round-the-Clock YouTube Stream With Intimate L.A. Concert," 13 June 2017

These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'efface.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.

Origin and Etymology of efface

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

NEW! Time Traveler

First Known Use: 15th century

See Words from the same year

efface Synonyms

EFFACE Defined for English Language Learners

efface

verb

Definition of efface for English Language Learners

: to cause (something) to fade or disappear

EFFACE Defined for Kids

efface

verb ef·face \ i-ˈfās \

Definition of efface for Students

effaced; effacing

:to cause to fade or disappear

… she wished to efface the memory of yesterday's failure …
—Louisa May Alcott, Little Women

Learn More about efface

See words that rhyme with efface Thesaurus: All synonyms and antonyms for efface Spanish Central: Translation of efface Nglish: Translation of efface for Spanish speakers Britannica English: Translation of efface for Arabic speakers

Seen and Heard

What made you want to look up efface? Please tell us where you read or heard it (including the quote, if possible).

show

efface

Definition of efface

effaceable

effacer

People Are Reading

Examples of efface in a Sentence

Recent Examples of efface from the Web

Origin and Etymology of efface

efface Synonyms

Synonyms

Related Words

Near Antonyms

EFFACE Defined for English Language Learners

efface

Definition of efface for English Language Learners

EFFACE Defined for Kids

efface

Definition of efface for Students

Learn More about efface

Seen and Heard

Love words? Need even more definitions?

Love words? Need even more definitions?

Words at Play

Ask the Editors

Word Games

The Origins of 'Lobbyist'

Trending: McCain: Half-Baked, 'Spurious' Nationalism

17 English Words that Come From Japanese

Forms of Government Quiz

Words of the Year: 1066