as in erasing
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 effacing
Their struggle has upturned the tabletop candle that illuminates the scene and any moment will surely extinguish it, effacing the giddy pattern formed by the writhing bodies and glowing, veiny bladder skin.
—
Julian Bell, The New York Review of Books, 25 Apr. 2026
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
Julian Bell, The New York Review of Books, 25 Apr. 2026
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
Recent Examples of Synonyms for effacing
Verb
-
Brought in to protect a two-run lead in the eighth inning, Scott gave up three runs, including two on a home run by Edmundo Sosa, erasing an excellent start from Roki Sasaki and ending the Dodgers’ six-game winning streak with a 4-3 loss to the Philadelphia Phillies on Saturday night.—
Bill Plunkett,
Oc Register,
31 May 2026
-
Shop wrinkle-erasing retinol treatments, glowy skin boosters, foundation-replacing skin tints, and more from just $7.—
Reece Andavolgyi,
InStyle,
24 May 2026
Verb
-
Blaine begins to relentlessly beat Sam in retaliation for eradicating his wife, Anneliese.—
Lynsey Eidell,
PEOPLE,
23 May 2026
-
The new state consumer services agency will focus on eradicating junk fees, increasing online privacy protections and overseeing oil companies, according to Newsom’s office.—
Lia Russell,
Sacbee.com,
12 May 2026
Verb
-
The most prominent of these activists is Joyce McMillan, who, after her own children were taken and returned, founded JMACforFamilies, an organization with the goal of abolishing the child-protective system altogether.—
Larissa MacFarquhar,
New Yorker,
28 May 2026
-
While politicians can write all sorts of legislation meant to keep kids off smartphones and away from apps, games, and content not appropriate for them, merely writing a law is not the same as abolishing a market.—
John Tamny,
Forbes.com,
26 May 2026
Verb
-
It was compounded when a West Contra Costa storage unit caught fire, destroying Alvin’s belongings, their mother testified.—
Nate Gartrell,
Mercury News,
29 May 2026
-
Truly domesticating bees required a hive with movable frames, one that would allow beekeepers to examine their bees and harvest honey without destroying the colony.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
27 May 2026
Cite this Entry
“Effacing.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/effacing. Accessed 4 Jun. 2026.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
