erase

verb \ i-ˈrās , British -ˈrāz \

|Updated on: 19 Aug 2018

Examples: erase in a Sentence

Definition of erase

erased; erasing

transitive verb

1 a : to rub or scrape out (something, such as written, painted, or engraved letters)

erase an error

b : to remove written or drawn marks from

erase a blackboard

c : to remove (recorded matter) from a magnetic medium; also : to remove recorded matter from

erase a videotape

d : to delete from computer storage

erase a file

2 a : to remove from existence or memory as if by erasing

b : to nullify the effect or force of

intransitive verb

: to yield to erasure

—

erasability

play \i-ˌrā-sə-ˈbi-lə-tē\ noun

—

erasable

play \i-ˈrā-sə-bəl\ adjective

See erase defined for English-language learners

See erase defined for kids

Examples of erase in a Sentence

The recording can be erased and the tape used again.
Several important files were accidentally erased.
You can erase the tape and use it again.
She erased the wrong answer from her paper and filled in the correct one.
I erased the chalk marks from the blackboard.

Recent Examples of erase from the Web

The vacating, therefore, erases a history that shouldn’t have happened.

— michael mccann, SI.com, "Should the NCAA Be Worried About the Lawsuit It's Facing From Former Louisville Players?," 12 July 2018
To many industries, NAFTA has all but erased the borders.

— john schmid, Milwaukee Journal Sentinel, "Trump's global trade war expected to inflict economic causalities in Wisconsin and across nation," 10 July 2018
Pearland East erased a 1-0 deficit by scoring all three runs in the second inning.

— robert avery, Houston Chronicle, "Pearland East all-stars succumb to Post Oak’s big fifth inning," 9 July 2018
Scott, who is on the cusp of an age in which homosexuality will be more accepted, has repeatedly had to suffer being silenced and erased, and ultimately dragged through press coverage.

— karen han, Vox, "How A Very English Scandal spins sensationalism into empathy," 7 July 2018
This narrative erases people of color in many Brooklyn neighborhoods.

— aaron gilbreath, Longreads, "How Brooklyn Lost Itself," 6 July 2018
The two most productive Marlins erased the Tampa Bay lead in the fifth.

— matthew defranks, Sun-Sentinel.com, "Marlins denied another walk-off win as Rays outlast Miami in 16 innings," 4 July 2018
Neither, however, erases concerns about America’s commitment to the Western alliance.

— karl rove, WSJ, "Can Trump and Europe Cut a Deal?," 4 July 2018
But can two minutes erase a quarter-century of a person’s life and commitment to serving and caring for his community and those entrusted to his care?

— lisa gutierrez, kansascity, "'All hell broke loose.' Priest throws family out of church before their mom's funeral," 2 July 2018

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

Origin and Etymology of erase

Latin erasus, past participle of eradere, from e- + radere to scratch, scrape — more at rodent

NEW! Time Traveler

First Known Use: 1605

in the meaning defined at transitive sense 1a

See Words from the same year

erase Synonyms

Synonyms

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

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;

ERASE Defined for English Language Learners

erase

verb

Definition of erase for English Language Learners

: to remove (something that has been recorded) from a tape (such as a videotape or audiotape) or a computer disk; also : to remove recorded material from (a tape or disk)
: to remove (something written) by rubbing or scraping so that it can no longer be seen
: to remove something written from (a surface)