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
The department has faced criticism for not redacting the names of some victims as required when the files were released, and for withholding many documents.
—
Dan Mangan, CNBC, 8 June 2026
Advertisement The department has also drawn criticism for redacting the names of some high-profile individuals who appeared to be associated with Epstein from the files while failing to obscure potentially identifying information about victims.
—Connor Greene, Time, 29 Apr. 2026
The files her department eventually released also revealed victims’ names and personal information, while redacting details not eligible to be hidden from the public under the law.
—Claire Heddles, Miami Herald, 14 Apr. 2026
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
Dan Mangan, CNBC, 8 June 2026
Advertisement The department has also drawn criticism for redacting the names of some high-profile individuals who appeared to be associated with Epstein from the files while failing to obscure potentially identifying information about victims.
—Connor Greene, Time, 29 Apr. 2026
The files her department eventually released also revealed victims’ names and personal information, while redacting details not eligible to be hidden from the public under the law.
—Claire Heddles, Miami Herald, 14 Apr. 2026
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
Recent Examples of Synonyms for redacting
Verb
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The actor, who returns as Forky in Toy Story 5, in theaters June 19, went on to share more insight into his reasoning for deleting the app.—
Kayla Grant,
PEOPLE,
12 June 2026
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Both were part of Richmond’s circle, and both were ready to debate an idea without deleting the debater.—
Adam Gopnik,
New Yorker,
8 June 2026
Verb
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On Thursday, stocks rose on Wall Street, erasing most of their losses from a day earlier to notch weekly gains thanks to big advances for heavyweight technology companies.—
ABC News,
ABC News,
19 June 2026
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Brunson scored 45 points in the clinching Game 5, erasing a 10-point, first-quarter deficit.—
Kevin Dolak,
HollywoodReporter,
18 June 2026
Verb
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Crews are focusing on the 15 feet along the roadsides, trimming trees that are still alive to help prevent fire from laddering into the crowns and removing dead trees.—
Alan Gionet,
CBS News,
21 June 2026
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In fact, according to Rakestraw, one of the biggest mistakes homeowners make is assuming the babies have been abandoned and removing them immediately.—
Michelle Mastro,
Martha Stewart,
20 June 2026
Cite this Entry
“Redacting.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/redacting. Accessed 22 Jun. 2026.
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