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Definition of tracenext
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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

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as in footstep
the mark or impression made by a foot followed the traces of the deer into the deep woods

Synonyms & Similar Words

Synonym Chooser

How is the word trace distinct from other similar nouns?

The words track and vestige are common synonyms of trace. While all three words mean "a perceptible sign made by something that has passed," trace may suggest any line, mark, or discernible effect.

the killer left no traces

When could track be used to replace trace?

The synonyms track and trace are sometimes interchangeable, but track implies a continuous line that can be followed.

the fossilized tracks of dinosaurs

When might vestige be a better fit than trace?

The words vestige and trace can be used in similar contexts, but vestige applies to a tangible reminder such as a fragment or remnant of what is past and gone.

boulders that are vestiges of the last ice age

Example Sentences

Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Recent Examples of trace
Verb
His first retail project traces back to 1987, with the Milan store soon becoming a reference point for the local, knowledgeable clientele. — Martino Carrera, Footwear News, 21 Sep. 2026 The trim, painted in Benjamin Moore’s Jade Romanesque, traces throughout the home. — Alex Beggs, Architectural Digest, 21 Sep. 2026
Noun
Search boats and helicopters extensively searched the ocean off Sorrento Beach in Perth's northern suburbs after the late morning attack without finding any trace of the victim, a police statement said. — ABC News, 18 Sep. 2026 Today, investigators would have sealed the scene immediately and would have been able to recover even the tiniest traces of blood, if any existed, on Lizzie Borden's clothing. — Erin Moriarty, CBS News, 17 Sep. 2026 See All Example Sentences for trace
Recent Examples of Synonyms for trace
Verb
  • The dispute over the route became one of the defining flash points of the conflict in Northern Ireland.
    — Amanda Ferguson Reuters, Arkansas Online, 26 Sep. 2026
  • The Libra Sun opposes Neptune across your private and daily-life zones, making vague stress, unfinished business, or hidden responsibilities harder to define.
    — Tarot.com, Baltimore Sun, 25 Sep. 2026
Verb
  • An Associated Press interactive map tracking the incidents of hybrid attacks shows an escalation, from 59 in March 2025 to more than 200 at this point.
    — ABC News, ABC News, 24 Sep. 2026
  • Because researchers only tracked hormone levels, spearmint tea isn’t clinically proven to clear your skin.
    — Brandi Jones, HEALTH, 24 Sep. 2026
Noun
  • The lasting sign of our passage was a suggestion of movement, a sinuous shape of memory in the grass, like the game trail of some new, mechanical beast burst out of evolutionary time.
    — Literary Hub, Literary Hub, 22 Sep. 2026
  • Instead of concentrating thousands of visitors into just a few months, wildlife disturbance and trail use are distributed more evenly throughout the year, allowing nature to regenerate and rest more, well, naturally.
    — CNT Editors, Condé Nast Traveler, 22 Sep. 2026
Noun
  • And neither Atlanta Public Schools nor Atlanta fire had answers for why buses and a firetruck were not told the road was blocked.
    — Doug Turnbull, AJC.com, 27 Sep. 2026
  • And the road toward whatever the final destination is starts now.
    — ABC News, ABC News, 27 Sep. 2026
Noun
  • The British civil wars were, in part, fought because people wanted to create their own religious paths, but unfortunately that freedom did not generally lead to a kinder Christianity.
    — Literary Hub, Literary Hub, 28 Sep. 2026
  • This unique propagation gives rise to wave trajectories with directional rotation, or handedness, which dictates whether paths rotate clockwise or counterclockwise.
    — Mrigakshi Dixit, Interesting Engineering, 28 Sep. 2026
Noun
  • When it was closed down in 1539, its treasures, books and relics were seized and its lands and buildings sold off, some to local nobles and gentry, some to the town authorities of Bury.
    — Literary Hub, Literary Hub, 28 Sep. 2026
  • There was the innovative foldable Samsung mobile phone launched in 2020, now a coveted relic of collaborations past.
    — Zachary Weiss, Vogue, 27 Sep. 2026
Noun
  • The congress has repeatedly amended the constitution to concentrate power in Ortega’s hands and eliminate any shred of democratic independence and dissent.
    — Sergio R. Bustos, Miami Herald, 19 Sep. 2026
  • On the greatest night of his greatest coaching feat, Sarkisian acted without grace or a shred of tact.
    — Candace Buckner, New York Times, 16 Sep. 2026
Noun
  • The first and last clues were hints to her newest music-video stars, Colin Farrell (saccharide = his show Sugar) and Dakota Johnson (North or South Dakota).
    — Alejandra Gularte, Vulture, 28 Sep. 2026
  • The occasional hints on non-denim pieces come in the material’s colors for devoré tops, lace underpinnings and jacquard knits, which often reprise Dondup’s tribal logo.
    — Martino Carrera, Footwear News, 27 Sep. 2026

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Cite this Entry

“Trace.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/trace. Accessed 29 Sep. 2026.

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