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
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
Has any country been quite so successful in effacing a people through the ubiquity of their representation on stamps, in schoolboy games and on billboards for tourist destinations along Route 66?
—Andrew Moore, New York Times, 15 May 2025
See All Example Sentences for efface
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
Has any country been quite so successful in effacing a people through the ubiquity of their representation on stamps, in schoolboy games and on billboards for tourist destinations along Route 66?
—Andrew Moore, New York Times, 15 May 2025
See All Example Sentences for efface
Recent Examples of Synonyms for efface
Verb
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That’s why our testers—spanning a wide range of skin types, ages, and skin concerns—have spent months determining which products actually deliver on their fine-line-smoothing and dark-circle-erasing promises.—
Grace McCarty,
Glamour,
18 Mar. 2026
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In terms of sheer duration, nothing tops the 1994-95 strike, a 232-day encounter between immovable object and unstoppable force that erased a total of 948 games and led to the cancellation of the World Series.—
Anthony Crupi,
Sportico.com,
18 Mar. 2026
Verb
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The past year has seen the highest rates of measles since before the disease was eradicated in 2000, and the country may already have lost its measles-free status.—
Claire Cameron,
Scientific American,
17 Mar. 2026
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Legislation to create a rapid response program to eradicate the noxious invasive weed hydrilla, which has jumped from the Connecticut River to the state’s biggest lakes, received a positive reception at a public hearing at the legislature.—
Edmund H. Mahony,
Hartford Courant,
14 Mar. 2026
Verb
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The tech industry has fiercely lobbied against efforts to modify or abolish Section 230, as it is considered a cornerstone of Silicon Valley’s growth over the past 30 years.—
Ted Johnson,
Deadline,
18 Mar. 2026
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The Illinois Senate primary was won by a progressive candidate who supports abolishing ICE.—
Marissa Martinez,
NBC news,
18 Mar. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Efface.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/efface. Accessed 22 Mar. 2026.
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