as in deleting
to make changes to (something written) so as to remove or obscure information
Because the victims were minors, their full names were redacted from public court records. The declassified documents were heavily redacted before they were released.
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Recent Examples of redacting
Justice Department officials have slow-walked the release by redacting and withholding records, further dragging it out.
—
Kevin Rector, Los Angeles Times, 25 Feb. 2026
The department has faced scrutiny for redacting the names of certain individuals, including nonvictims.
—David Zimmermann, The Washington Examiner, 15 Feb. 2026
Emotions were hot during a House Judiciary Committee hearing this past week where Bondi was assailed by lawmakers from both sides of the aisle, who accused the Justice Department of redacting the names of multiple men for political reasons.
—Phillip M. Bailey, USA Today, 13 Feb. 2026
Democrats have accused the Justice Department of redacting information that should have been made public, including information that could lead to scrutiny of Epstein’s associates.
—Eric Tucker, Chicago Tribune, 11 Feb. 2026
Some observers have accused the department of over-redacting the files, while some attorneys for Epstein survivors say the department failed to properly redact their clients' names before publishing the files to a government database.
—Jacob Rosen, CBS News, 11 Feb. 2026
Be thoughtful about sensitive items Consider redacting highly sensitive data (like customer-specific pricing) when appropriate, and carefully manage access to the most confidential folders.
—Allbusiness, Forbes.com, 24 Jan. 2026
Marshall ruled that the public’s legal right to know meant the government could still release the photos, but not without reviewing and redacting certain scenes and images.
—Sally Krutzig, Idaho Statesman, 22 Jan. 2026
Blanche added that the department has no intention of redacting or withholding material related to Trump, beyond what is strictly required by law, and repeatedly guaranteed that every mention and photograph of the president contained in the Epstein files will be released.
—Eva Roytburg, Fortune, 21 Dec. 2025
Kevin Rector, Los Angeles Times, 25 Feb. 2026
The department has faced scrutiny for redacting the names of certain individuals, including nonvictims.
—David Zimmermann, The Washington Examiner, 15 Feb. 2026
Emotions were hot during a House Judiciary Committee hearing this past week where Bondi was assailed by lawmakers from both sides of the aisle, who accused the Justice Department of redacting the names of multiple men for political reasons.
—Phillip M. Bailey, USA Today, 13 Feb. 2026
Democrats have accused the Justice Department of redacting information that should have been made public, including information that could lead to scrutiny of Epstein’s associates.
—Eric Tucker, Chicago Tribune, 11 Feb. 2026
Some observers have accused the department of over-redacting the files, while some attorneys for Epstein survivors say the department failed to properly redact their clients' names before publishing the files to a government database.
—Jacob Rosen, CBS News, 11 Feb. 2026
Be thoughtful about sensitive items Consider redacting highly sensitive data (like customer-specific pricing) when appropriate, and carefully manage access to the most confidential folders.
—Allbusiness, Forbes.com, 24 Jan. 2026
Marshall ruled that the public’s legal right to know meant the government could still release the photos, but not without reviewing and redacting certain scenes and images.
—Sally Krutzig, Idaho Statesman, 22 Jan. 2026
Blanche added that the department has no intention of redacting or withholding material related to Trump, beyond what is strictly required by law, and repeatedly guaranteed that every mention and photograph of the president contained in the Epstein files will be released.
—Eva Roytburg, Fortune, 21 Dec. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for redacting
Verb
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Places left and right — colleges, cities, classrooms, even states that mark Chávez’s birthday as a holiday — are now deleting his name and image from the public sphere.—
Gustavo Arellano,
Los Angeles Times,
24 Mar. 2026
-
Experts say that in order to protect your data, start with a factory reset — not just deleting files.—
ABC News,
ABC News,
24 Mar. 2026
Verb
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The young Nets still hung with the road-weary Lakers until the final minutes, erasing an early double-digit deficit and leading in the fourth quarter of their 20th loss in 22 games overall.—
ABC News,
ABC News,
28 Mar. 2026
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Oakland County is erasing $6 million in medical debt for 6,300 county residents.—
Joseph Buczek,
CBS News,
23 Mar. 2026
Verb
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But with Friday’s 131-113 loss to the Oklahoma City Thunder, the Bulls were officially eliminated from postseason contention, removing the last sliver of competition from the final two-week stretch of the season.—
Julia Poe,
Chicago Tribune,
28 Mar. 2026
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While action has been quick in removing Chávez’s name, there has been plenty of debate on how best to move forward.—
Andrew J. Campa,
Los Angeles Times,
28 Mar. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Redacting.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/redacting. Accessed 31 Mar. 2026.
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