as in erased
to destroy all traces of
time and the weather have expunged any evidence that a thriving community once existed here
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Recent Examples of expunged
Most distressingly to protesters, there is no way to request the DNA samples’ destruction, and the process to get DNA profiles expunged from the database comes with extra costs and could take as long as five years.
—
Ashley Belanger, ArsTechnica, 7 May 2026
The district attorney’s office dismissed Bennett’s charge, Dougherty said, and records related to her case were expunged per Colorado law – including the original police report.
—Holly Yan, CNN Money, 5 Apr. 2026
There is a process for requesting to have your DNA expunged from CODIS, according to the FBI, but Glaberson, coauthor of the report, said very few people appear to have successfully done so, meaning their DNA will likely remain there in perpetuity.
—N'dea Yancey-Bragg, USA Today, 24 Mar. 2026
In September, roughly a month after Kansas City received the federal subpoena for records related to Washington, the nonprofit leader filed petitions in both state and federal courts to have his criminal records expunged.
—Kacen Bayless, Kansas City Star, 24 Mar. 2026
Hardin went on to work for the Precinct 4 constable's office and has since had his criminal case expunged.
—Nicole Hensley, Houston Chronicle, 20 Mar. 2026
One person's success Eliana, a program participant, said the most rewarding part was staying sober and having her felonies expunged.
—Claire Osborn, Austin American Statesman, 28 Feb. 2026
Unusual efforts to clear records A felony charge against a CPD officer — even one stemming from an off-duty incident — is relatively uncommon, and recent efforts by other former officers to have their criminal charges expunged have led to mixed results.
—Sam Charles, Chicago Tribune, 26 Feb. 2026
According to Jefferson County Circuit Court records, Soto-Pantoja is part of a pretrial diversion program that allows for a criminal case to be expunged after five years of law-abiding behavior, including paying fees and passing drug tests, Mascagni said.
—Lillian Metzmeier, Louisville Courier Journal, 19 Feb. 2026
Ashley Belanger, ArsTechnica, 7 May 2026
The district attorney’s office dismissed Bennett’s charge, Dougherty said, and records related to her case were expunged per Colorado law – including the original police report.
—Holly Yan, CNN Money, 5 Apr. 2026
There is a process for requesting to have your DNA expunged from CODIS, according to the FBI, but Glaberson, coauthor of the report, said very few people appear to have successfully done so, meaning their DNA will likely remain there in perpetuity.
—N'dea Yancey-Bragg, USA Today, 24 Mar. 2026
In September, roughly a month after Kansas City received the federal subpoena for records related to Washington, the nonprofit leader filed petitions in both state and federal courts to have his criminal records expunged.
—Kacen Bayless, Kansas City Star, 24 Mar. 2026
Hardin went on to work for the Precinct 4 constable's office and has since had his criminal case expunged.
—Nicole Hensley, Houston Chronicle, 20 Mar. 2026
One person's success Eliana, a program participant, said the most rewarding part was staying sober and having her felonies expunged.
—Claire Osborn, Austin American Statesman, 28 Feb. 2026
Unusual efforts to clear records A felony charge against a CPD officer — even one stemming from an off-duty incident — is relatively uncommon, and recent efforts by other former officers to have their criminal charges expunged have led to mixed results.
—Sam Charles, Chicago Tribune, 26 Feb. 2026
According to Jefferson County Circuit Court records, Soto-Pantoja is part of a pretrial diversion program that allows for a criminal case to be expunged after five years of law-abiding behavior, including paying fees and passing drug tests, Mascagni said.
—Lillian Metzmeier, Louisville Courier Journal, 19 Feb. 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for expunged
Verb
-
Lehmann considers the contested history of Anne Boleyn, the outlandish accusations against her, and the ways in which her image has been erased and changed over time.—
Fiction Non Fiction,
Literary Hub,
14 May 2026
-
Finlayson said that students at the school found his LinkedIn reply before the post's author erased the thread, leading to outcry.—
Beth Bailey,
FOXNews.com,
14 May 2026
Verb
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Pluckebaum said, using a term that means a community has essentially eradicated homelessness.—
Ishani Desai,
Sacbee.com,
7 May 2026
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In a few isolated locations, when aggressive actions were taken shortly after the mussels were detected, fledgling populations were eradicated.—
Dinah Voyles Pulver,
USA Today,
3 May 2026
Verb
-
Slavery was abolished around 160 years ago and civil rights became law about 60 years ago.—
Miami Herald,
Miami Herald,
14 May 2026
-
In 2018, France abolished its wealth tax, and Spain added one of its own a bit later.—
Alex Ledsom,
Forbes.com,
10 May 2026
Verb
-
It was moved a day later to a naval base on the mainland for inspection and the explosives were later destroyed, according to Greece’s public broadcaster, ERT.—
ABC News,
ABC News,
12 May 2026
-
The surge triggered severe erosion, damaged the powerhouse and nearby switchyards, washed debris into the North Yuba River and destroyed portions of Lake Francis Road.—
Nicole Buss,
Sacbee.com,
12 May 2026
Cite this Entry
“Expunged.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/expunged. Accessed 17 May. 2026.
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