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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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
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Boyle, 65, shared a series of Instagram photos on Thursday, May 28, after deleting all previous posts.—
Madison E. Goldberg,
PEOPLE,
29 May 2026
Verb
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Anyelo Ramírez Martínez, 24, was arrested on March 5 in Santiago de Cuba while filming authorities erasing anti-government graffiti on the street.—
Sarah Moreno
June 5,
Miami Herald,
6 June 2026
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Two years into his first term, those properties sold through a series of multi-million dollar transactions for more than the 2020 asking price, erasing much of the debt, according to reports.—
Irene Wright,
USA Today,
6 June 2026
Verb
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Those who found Hillary Dawa were members of the Sagarmatha Pollution Control Committee (SPCC), which sets the routes, ropes and ladders through the Khumbu Icefall at the start of the season, and is in charge of removing waste from the mountain once climbers have left.—
Helen Regan,
CNN Money,
5 June 2026
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Regularly cleaning filters, emptying dust containers, and removing hair from the brush roll can help keep the machine running efficiently for years.—
Jessica Safavimehr,
Southern Living,
5 June 2026
Cite this Entry
“Redacting.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/redacting. Accessed 13 Jun. 2026.
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