expunge

verb

ik-ˈspənj How to pronounce expunge (audio)
Definition of expungenext
as in to erase
to destroy all traces of time and the weather have expunged any evidence that a thriving community once existed here

Synonyms & Similar Words

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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 expunge There is no longer any public trace of Helton’s criminal case in the Ohio county court system; certain nonviolent cases are allowed to be sealed or expunged after a set amount of time has passed. — Jennifer Smith Richards, ProPublica, 16 July 2026 Have you been arrested, charged or convicted of a crime, had an adjudication withheld or had a matter sealed or expunged? — Stephen V. Iacullo, Sun Sentinel, 16 July 2026 These charges were so baseless that the Cook County State’s Attorney declined to prosecute me and expunged my name and the charge from the record. — Literary Hub, 14 July 2026 With Ukraine busy expunging Russian cultural influences, and cities and towns removing Russian historical and literary figures’ statues and street names, the idea of a new program focused on Ukraine’s former imperial master raised eyebrows. — Howard Lafranchi, Christian Science Monitor, 27 June 2026 See All Example Sentences for expunge
Recent Examples of Synonyms for expunge
  1. erase
  2. eradicate
  3. abolish
  4. destroy
Verb
  • Their efforts have successfully erased half the population from public life and made Afghanistan one of the world’s most dangerous places to be a woman.
    — Kara Fox, CNN Money, 15 Aug. 2026
  • But what frightened me most was not death alone, but the idea of dying before my writings reached the world—that my story would disappear with me, and that my feelings, my memories, my identity, and my human experience would be erased.
    — Literary Hub, Literary Hub, 14 Aug. 2026
Definition of erase
Verb
  • Tlaib is also a prominent critic of Israel; her rhetoric has been chastised by Jewish colleagues as an antisemitic call for eradicating Jews, a charge the congresswoman and her supporters reject.
    — Anthony Man, Sun Sentinel, 13 Aug. 2026
  • Smallpox, which was eradicated in 1980 and no longer naturally circulates, was once one of the world's deadliest diseases.
    — Andrea Margolis, FOXNews.com, 13 Aug. 2026
Definition of eradicate
Verb
  • Some members sought to amend the resolution to call for reforming ICE rather than abolishing it.
    — Mabinty Quarshie, The Washington Examiner, 13 Aug. 2026
  • Hong branded herself as a fighter for the working class, advocated for universal childcare and called to abolish Immigration and Customs Enforcement.
    — Oren Oppenheim, ABC News, 12 Aug. 2026
Definition of abolish
Verb
  • Vendors said enforcement sweeps that began earlier this year have threatened their livelihoods, with authorities confiscating vending equipment and, in some cases, destroying it.
    — Da Lin, CBS News, 14 Aug. 2026
  • One of those, the USS Gerald R Ford, also reported problems earlier this year, from toilets that weren’t working to a laundry fire that briefly stopped combat operations and destroyed some sleeping quarters.
    — Mustafa Qadri, CNN Money, 14 Aug. 2026
Definition of destroy

Browse Nearby Words

expulsions
expunge
expunged
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Cite this Entry

“Expunge.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/expunge. Accessed 15 Aug. 2026.

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More from Merriam-Webster on expunge

Nglish: Translation of expunge for Spanish Speakers

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