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
Midwest Living, 12 June 2026
Beyond the glamour, the museum also traces her Johnston County roots, revealing how a small-town North Carolina upbringing shaped one of the silver screen's most enduring stars.
—Alexandra Emanuelli, Southern Living, 12 June 2026
News Desk, Artforum, 12 June 2026
The satellite also hosts the European Union’s Copernicus Sentinel-4 mission, which aims to monitor key air quality trace gases and aerosols over Europe in support of the Copernicus Atmosphere Monitoring Service (CAMS) at high spatial resolution and with a fast revisit time.
—Richard Tribou, The Orlando Sentinel, 12 June 2026
See All Example Sentences for trace
Verb
The route traces nearly 18 miles of the Lakefront Trail—all of them scenic—with the fountain smack-dab in the middle.
—Midwest Living, 12 June 2026
Beyond the glamour, the museum also traces her Johnston County roots, revealing how a small-town North Carolina upbringing shaped one of the silver screen's most enduring stars.
—Alexandra Emanuelli, Southern Living, 12 June 2026
Noun
These photos, too, bore traces of Surrealism, as evidenced by his portrait series of Magritte, whose iconicity reflects that of the artist himself.
—News Desk, Artforum, 12 June 2026
The satellite also hosts the European Union’s Copernicus Sentinel-4 mission, which aims to monitor key air quality trace gases and aerosols over Europe in support of the Copernicus Atmosphere Monitoring Service (CAMS) at high spatial resolution and with a fast revisit time.
—Richard Tribou, The Orlando Sentinel, 12 June 2026
See All Example Sentences for trace
Recent Examples of Synonyms for trace
Verb
-
British artist David Hockney, considered one of the most influential and defining figures in contemporary art, whose paintings captured the world in brilliant color, has died aged 88, his publicist announced Friday.—
CBS News,
CBS News,
12 June 2026
-
For cities and counties, population growth is universally seen as a metric that defines success.—
Christopher Briem,
The Conversation,
12 June 2026
Verb
-
Detectives later tracked him to Bullhead City, Arizona, with the help of facial recognition technology and arrested him in May.—
Richard Ramos,
CBS News,
17 June 2026
-
Storms will persist for a time overnight, generally tracking southeast.—
Mary Gilbert,
CNN Money,
17 June 2026
Noun
-
The yurt system is open year-round and is accessible by hiking trail in the summer and by skiing or snowshoeing in winter.—
Nicole Blanchard,
Idaho Statesman,
18 June 2026
-
Additionally, please be mindful of trails that remain closed under the Eaton fire area closure order.—
Jaclyn Cosgrove,
Los Angeles Times,
18 June 2026
Noun
-
The roads are gravel, remote, full of potholes, and arriving at the hotel meant making a river crossing at one point in time (a bridge has since been introduced).—
Condé Nast,
Condé Nast Traveler,
17 June 2026
-
Police call for drivers to remain attentive, particularly during the hours of sunrise and sunset, when shifting lighting conditions affect road visibility.—
Lyanne Wang,
CBS News,
17 June 2026
Noun
-
And Dolan’s input was a part of the Knicks’ decision to fire Tom Thibodeau and go down the circuitous path that brought Mike Brown to their sidelines, and that, too, worked out.—
Mike Vorkunov,
New York Times,
16 June 2026
-
Internationally collaborative and open-science efforts such as this are putting us on a path toward a meaningful treatment to halt the progression of Parkinson’s disease.—
Tara Haelle,
Scientific American,
16 June 2026
Noun
-
Disclosure Day marks Steven Spielberg’s return to the UFO phenomenon, but the film feels like a relic from a simpler time.—
Dani Di Placido,
Forbes.com,
12 June 2026
-
These relics stand as reminders of those who came before, setting the scene.—
Alia Beard Rau,
USA Today,
10 June 2026
Noun
-
The industry has been keeping a close eye on what Koosha and his producer Tom Rogers have been doing — namely, conjuring a movie out of thin air without a single shred of an actor, location, crew member or camera.—
Steven Zeitchik,
HollywoodReporter,
11 June 2026
-
Watching the chairman of the Senate Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation rip Tom Skerritt’s character to shreds on live TV would make for extremely spicy viewing.—
Eric Berger & Lee Hutchinson,
ArsTechnica,
31 May 2026
Noun
-
New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani appeared to drop a major hint about Taylor Swift and Travis Kelce's wedding details on June 15.—
Lara Walsh,
InStyle,
16 June 2026
-
Onions add flavor, dimension, and a nice hint of acid.—
Stacey Lastoe,
Southern Living,
14 June 2026
Cite this Entry
“Trace.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/trace. Accessed 20 Jun. 2026.
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