1
as in to define
to draw or make apparent the outline of
trace your hand onto this piece of paper
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
2
as in to track
to go after or on the track of
police traced the burglar back to his apartment, where they discovered a ton of stolen loot
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
1
as in trail
a mark or series of marks left on a surface by something that has passed along it
the wolf came and went without leaving a trace on the hard, dry ground
Synonyms & Similar Words
2
as in road
a passage cleared for public vehicular travel
an old trace that dates back to the days of the covered wagon
Synonyms & Similar Words
3
as in path
a rough course or way formed by or as if by repeated footsteps
stay on the trace, or you'll get lost in these thick woods
Synonyms & Similar Words
4
as in relic
a tiny often physical indication of something lost or vanished
a ship that appears to have vanished without a trace on the high seas
Synonyms & Similar Words
5
as in shred
a very small amount
doctors detected only a trace of bacteria in the blood sample but put the patient on antibiotics just in case
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
6
as in hint
an almost imperceptible sign of something
there didn't seem to be so much as a trace of the truth to anything he said
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of trace
Nara Schoenberg, Chicago Tribune, 23 June 2025
Khamenei has been housed in a bunker and mostly speaks with his commanders via an aide, and has avoided using electronic communications that could be traced to his location.
—Ross O'Keefe, The Washington Examiner, 21 June 2025
Sarah Scoles, JSTOR Daily, 11 June 2025
More than 17 people were arrested as suspects in connection to the case after investigators found trace amounts of DNA on plastic bands tied around Kardashian's wrists.
—Ashley Hume, FOXNews.com, 11 June 2025
See All Example Sentences for trace
Verb
Such job training opportunities are the product of a long, hard fight in Illinois — one that can be traced back to the state’s previous climate law, the Future Energy Jobs Act of 2016.
—Nara Schoenberg, Chicago Tribune, 23 June 2025
Khamenei has been housed in a bunker and mostly speaks with his commanders via an aide, and has avoided using electronic communications that could be traced to his location.
—Ross O'Keefe, The Washington Examiner, 21 June 2025
Noun
Leaving no trace can be a lofty goal in the face of such encroachments.
—Sarah Scoles, JSTOR Daily, 11 June 2025
More than 17 people were arrested as suspects in connection to the case after investigators found trace amounts of DNA on plastic bands tied around Kardashian's wrists.
—Ashley Hume, FOXNews.com, 11 June 2025
See All Example Sentences for trace
Recent Examples of Synonyms for trace
Verb
-
Vincent James McMahon’s characters in the WWF were defined by their nationalities, like Italian immigrant Bruno Sammartino, and Bollea was close enough.—
Marc Raimondi
June 25,
Literary Hub,
25 June 2025
-
As international attention turns away from missile strikes and toward diplomacy following the recent ceasefire between Iran and Israel, a deeper, longer-term struggle is quietly taking shape inside the Islamic Republic — one that will define the country’s political future.—
Pegah Banihashemi,
Chicago Tribune,
25 June 2025
Verb
-
With glossy pages, this book tracks the evolution of Claude’s prolific work across her entire career, from poems to photographic portraits and photomontages, to essays, word games and text collages.—
Dylin Hardcastle
June 16,
Literary Hub,
16 June 2025
-
Units comprise album sales, track equivalent albums (TEA) and streaming equivalent albums (SEA).—
Keith Caulfield,
Billboard,
15 June 2025
Noun
-
Other trails include the Swinging Bridge Trails and Aska Trails.—
Lisa Cericola,
Southern Living,
25 June 2025
-
Just walking the trails, taking one of their outdoor yoga classes or attending the River Jam music nights can be a fun, low-key way to meet like-minded people.—
Sunny Hubler,
Charlotte Observer,
25 June 2025
Noun
-
Think of it as a creditor wanting to get into a city and there are several roads to get into that city.—
Jay Adkisson,
Forbes.com,
23 June 2025
-
The partnership extended off the track, too, with the German and British marques pairing up to build a stylish road car based on the legendary 300 SLR Uhlenhaut Coupe.—
Bryan Hood,
Robb Report,
23 June 2025
Noun
-
As organizations grapple with rising burnout and disengagement, the path forward lies in creating environments rooted in clarity, autonomy, and meaning.—
Lisa Bodell,
Forbes.com,
16 June 2025
-
There’s obviously risk there, but that’s the same for just about any path this summer.—
James Mirtle,
New York Times,
16 June 2025
Noun
-
Thanks to Gaia, scientists now can better gauge the amount of dark matter within our galaxy and have been able to track the Milky Way’s growth and evolution across eons via relic streams of stars strewn from ancient mergers with other, smaller galaxies.—
Lee Billings,
Scientific American,
18 June 2025
-
Primarily a relic of the Silent era, the technique would only be used for specific stylistic purposes today.—
Christian Zilko,
IndieWire,
17 June 2025
Noun
-
The material underfoot was dark brown and appeared to be a mix of wood chips and woody debris, dotted with cast-off rubber and plastic — the shred of a Spalding basketball here, a purple plastic squirrel there.—
Susanne Rust,
Los Angeles Times,
11 June 2025
-
In a shred of goods news, final sales to private domestic purchasers — a key gauge of underlying demand in the economy — accelerated to 3% in the first quarter from 2.9% in the fourth quarter.—
Bryan Mena,
CNN Money,
30 Apr. 2025
Noun
-
While few details were shared at the time, there were hints that the podcast would soon be relaunching.—
Skyler Caruso,
People.com,
26 June 2025
-
The strawberries are then quartered and added to the skillet alongside ruby port (a sweet fortified wine that generally tastes like red berries) and fresh ginger for a hint of sweet spice.—
The Washington Post,
San Diego Union-Tribune,
25 June 2025
Cite this Entry
“Trace.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/trace. Accessed 30 Jun. 2025.
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