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
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Stocks rose on Wall Street Thursday and erased most of their losses from a day earlier to notch weekly gains.—
Damian J. Troise,
Los Angeles Times,
18 June 2026
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It's believed a similar construction may have existed early on at Stonehenge itself, but any traces of that structure would have been erased as development continued into what is there today.—
Adam England,
PEOPLE,
18 June 2026
Verb
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In the 1960s, screwworm was eradicated from America thanks to robust foreign assistance.—
Voice of the People,
New York Daily News,
17 June 2026
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The sound of water, which normally underlay everyday life, had been momentarily eradicated.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
17 June 2026
Verb
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About 20 African countries actively uphold term limits, the think tank says, while others have abolished or circumvented them, or are under military regimes that have suspended constitutional rule, allowing long-serving leaders to remain in office.—
Farai Mutsaka,
Los Angeles Times,
18 June 2026
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Pittman said the holiday should instead recognize the ratification of the 13th Amendment, which abolished slavery nationwide later that year.—
Nora O'Neill,
Charlotte Observer,
18 June 2026
Verb
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The crash sparked a fire that destroyed the aircraft, which was operating as a skydiving flight, according to the NTSB.—
Thao Nguyen,
USA Today,
16 June 2026
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The fire burned more than 60 acres and destroyed several structures, including homes, according to CBS Los Angeles.—
Ruben Vives,
Los Angeles Times,
16 June 2026
Cite this Entry
“Expunged.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/expunged. Accessed 19 Jun. 2026.
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