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
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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
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Maybe Destiny 2 needed to end at some point, but there’s a difference between that and announcing the next stage of the IP, and erasing it from existence and laying off the hundreds of talented team members still making great content right down to the last minute.
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Electronic dance music scholars have noted that countercultural scenes have shifted into a global industry, reshaping or erasing local meanings in favor of commercialization.
Verb
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Frustratingly, Rubus armeniacus is notoriously difficult to get rid of, as traditional approaches to invasive management such as fire, herbicide, and mowing are insufficient at eradicating the plant.
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Incomplete or inappropriate antibiotic courses amplify this effect by exposing bacteria to sub-therapeutic drug concentrations without eradicating them.
Verb
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Among the subjects Avila Chevalier says Democrats should focus on are affordability, federal budgets focused on aiding working people, and a more just immigration system — including abolishing Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE).
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Avila Chevalier survived a deluge of attacks for previous social media posts that called for abolishing the police and prisons.
Verb
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Mexican fruit flies are one of the world’s most destructive pests when laying their eggs, destroying or damaging fruit such as apples, grapefruits, avocados, peaches and pears, according to the California Department of Food and Agriculture.
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But Blue Origin suffered a major setback in May when one of its New Glenn rockets abruptly exploded on the launchpad, destroying vital infrastructure that will take months to rebuild.
Cite this Entry
“Effacing.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/effacing. Accessed 2 Jul. 2026.
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