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
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to
show current usage.
Read More
Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors.
Send us feedback.
Recent Examples of efface
The road not taken—and now rediscovered by Orozco—is the reintroduction of the ancient Marxist concept of use value,the dialectical opposite of exchange value, and, more recently, also the sole form of resisting exhibition value, which has totally effaced the concepts of material use and function.
—
Benjamin H. D. Buchloh, Artforum, 1 June 2025
In other societies, including those of Latin America, the line between conqueror and conquered has, through language, intermarriage and the exchange of customs and food, been partially effaced.
—Andrew Moore, New York Times, 15 May 2025
The bonds of mutual political awakening—the sort of togetherness that was once routine, if uneasy, for Firestone—are completely effaced.
—Audrey Wollen, Harpers Magazine, 28 Mar. 2025
By killing animals for exhibition and subduing their bodies in such tableaux, taxidermy celebrates the subjugation of nature and colonial exploitation, all while effacing the African labor undergirding some dioramas, as with the mountain gorilla scene.
—The Editors, JSTOR Daily, 13 Mar. 2025
See All Example Sentences for efface
Benjamin H. D. Buchloh, Artforum, 1 June 2025
In other societies, including those of Latin America, the line between conqueror and conquered has, through language, intermarriage and the exchange of customs and food, been partially effaced.
—Andrew Moore, New York Times, 15 May 2025
The bonds of mutual political awakening—the sort of togetherness that was once routine, if uneasy, for Firestone—are completely effaced.
—Audrey Wollen, Harpers Magazine, 28 Mar. 2025
By killing animals for exhibition and subduing their bodies in such tableaux, taxidermy celebrates the subjugation of nature and colonial exploitation, all while effacing the African labor undergirding some dioramas, as with the mountain gorilla scene.
—The Editors, JSTOR Daily, 13 Mar. 2025
See All Example Sentences for efface
Recent Examples of Synonyms for efface
Verb
-
Such grotesque accounts are part of alternate histories that hegemonic discourse attempted to erase.—
JSTOR Daily,
JSTOR Daily,
30 Oct. 2025
-
Nations weave myths out of victories and erase defeats with the promise of future triumphs.—
Elizabeth D. Samet,
Foreign Affairs,
29 Oct. 2025
Verb
-
To protect its biodiversity, New Zealand has embarked on an experiment that aims to eradicate all invasive species by the year 2050.—
NPR,
NPR,
26 Oct. 2025
-
While centuries of English governance strived to eradicate the language, many in Wales fought to preserve it.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
22 Oct. 2025
Verb
-
In the 1980s, the Construction Differential Subsidy was abolished, hollowing out the commercial base.—
Big Think,
Big Think,
28 Oct. 2025
-
Rogers noted that the book argues that a central cause of the war was Anglo settlers’ determination to keep slaves in bondage after Mexico largely abolished it.—
Preston Fore,
Fortune,
25 Oct. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Efface.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/efface. Accessed 5 Nov. 2025.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
Share