erase

verb

\ i-ˈrās

, British -ˈrāz\

erased; erasing

Definition of erase

transitive verb

1a : 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

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

b : to nullify the effect or force of

intransitive verb

: to yield to erasure

Other Words from erase Synonyms More Example Sentences Learn More about erase

Keep scrolling for more

Other Words from erase

erasability \ i-ˌrā-sə-ˈbi-lə-tē

\ noun

erasable \ i-ˈrā-sə-bəl

\ adjective

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 on the Web

On the up side, some studies have shown those negative effects can be erased by daily exercise. — Sandee Lamotte, CNN, "Sit, stand, sit: The new science about how to best use your standing desk," 12 Sep. 2019 If there were any doubts over his role this season (why would there be?!), they were quickly erased, and rightly so. — SI.com, "Giorgio Chiellini: Hopefully it's Not the End for One of This Generation's Greatest Defenders," 2 Sep. 2019 Hunter Renfroe followed Machado’s homer with a single but was erased on Hosmer’s double play grounder. — San Diego Union-Tribune, "Padres’ faults on full display in loss to Giants," 30 Aug. 2019 Most police union contracts dictate when and which misconduct records can be erased. — Justin Price, azcentral, "Phoenix police routinely 'purges' officer discipline records, keeps misconduct secret," 23 Aug. 2019 Then, adding insult to injury, these early black slaves were erased from the standard narrative of American history. — al, "Slaves arrived in America, and Alabama, years before 1619," 23 Aug. 2019 Before a computer expert could be summoned to locate the file containing the will, it was erased. — Steve Helling, PEOPLE.com, "30 Years After the Menendez Brothers Murders, Read PEOPLE's 1990 Cover Story," 20 Aug. 2019 Essentially, make your minimum monthly payments for 10 years and your loans will be erased. — Alia Wong, The Atlantic, "The Financial Calamity That Is the Teaching Profession," 17 July 2019 Members used Facebook Stories to post images of the antiquities that would be erased in 24 hours, and Facebook’s encrypted chat to communicate. — Tim Fernholz, Quartz, "Terrorists are trafficking looted antiquities with impunity on Facebook," 3 July 2019

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.

Keep scrolling for more

Learn More about erase

Dictionary Entries near erase

Statistics for erase

Last Updated

14 Oct 2019

Look-up Popularity

Time Traveler for erase

The first known use of erase was in 1605

See more words from the same year

Keep scrolling for more

More Definitions for erase

erase

verb

English Language Learners Definition of erase

: 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)

See the full definition for erase in the English Language Learners Dictionary

erase

verb

\ i-ˈrās

erased; erasing