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
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to
show current usage.
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Recent Examples of trace
Keith Laing, USA Today, 23 May 2026
View credits Through on-the-ground reporting, public records and archival analysis, this investigation traces the expansion of Atlanta’s surveillance network from 17 cameras in 2007 to more than 60,000 today.
—AJC.com, 22 May 2026
Zachary Hansen, AJC.com, 20 May 2026
Then, investigators found traces of Sophia's DNA, as well as blood on a pair of pants in her uncle's home.
—Chris Spargo, PEOPLE, 19 May 2026
See All Example Sentences for trace
Verb
Stock car racing's origins trace back to the Prohibition era when bootleggers raced modified cars.
—Keith Laing, USA Today, 23 May 2026
View credits Through on-the-ground reporting, public records and archival analysis, this investigation traces the expansion of Atlanta’s surveillance network from 17 cameras in 2007 to more than 60,000 today.
—AJC.com, 22 May 2026
Noun
Underneath the asphalt were traces of earlier buildings and infrastructure, and the usual debris of bottlecaps and glass from the 1940s.
—Zachary Hansen, AJC.com, 20 May 2026
Then, investigators found traces of Sophia's DNA, as well as blood on a pair of pants in her uncle's home.
—Chris Spargo, PEOPLE, 19 May 2026
See All Example Sentences for trace
Recent Examples of Synonyms for trace
Verb
-
But Kyiv’s early embrace of drones, and the mass-industrialization of their accuracy and power, has begun to exact a defining toll on Moscow.—
Nick Paton Walsh,
CNN Money,
30 May 2026
-
Taken together, those cultural threads help explain why food – and especially meat – carries an outsized symbolic role in Texas politics, where the official state dish, adopted in 1977, is chili, defined by its significant meat base.—
Rebecca Morin,
USA Today,
29 May 2026
Verb
-
Honey hunting became a popular pastime, as colonists tracked down wild colonies to harvest wax and honey like their ancestors back in Europe.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
27 May 2026
-
This page tracks the Cornyn-Paxton contest with the latest statewide numbers, percentages and precincts reporting.—
Aaron A. Bedoya,
USA Today,
27 May 2026
Noun
-
There are courts for padel, pickleball, ping-pong, and tennis, and plenty of trails for ATV forest drives and guided sound-of-nature tours.—
Condé Nast,
Condé Nast Traveler,
29 May 2026
-
Images of the bird off San Clemente were taken by Jim Serpa, who was out for a morning walk along the beach trail on May 21, when the unlikely sight caught his eye.—
Laylan Connelly,
Oc Register,
28 May 2026
Noun
-
Many appear old and worn, and are vulnerable to sabotage from paramilitary groups, or an explosion involving hot, heavy crude oil, should a vehicle come off the road and hit them.—
Jacob Whitehead,
New York Times,
27 May 2026
-
Ten minutes down the road from Thiepval, on the other side of the highway leading to today’s prosperous French border city of Amiens, lies the German war cemetery at Fricourt.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
27 May 2026
Noun
-
Name the pattern, refine the message, and choose the path that expands your reach.—
Tarot.com,
Sun Sentinel,
26 May 2026
-
The path towards peace remains challenging.—
Leonie Kidd,
CNBC,
26 May 2026
Noun
-
Today, many may view it as a relic.—
Steven D. Reske,
Chicago Tribune,
24 May 2026
-
Everlane is not the only relic of the ethical consumption era to find itself in ignominious circumstances.—
Phil Wahba,
Fortune,
23 May 2026
Noun
-
Angie is made more complex inside a later version, who is bruised and angry, ready to rip any and everyone to shreds.—
David John Chávez,
Mercury News,
29 May 2026
-
The camera locks Henri in its sights, catching his every empty boast and complicit deed as Hitler’s Final Solution looms, and offering nary a shred of redemption or reassurance.—
Justin Chang,
New Yorker,
27 May 2026
Noun
-
The palate is chewy and flavorful, with caramel, toffee, peanut brittle, cinnamon, clove, and hints of dark cherry and orange peel.—
Joseph V Micallef,
Forbes.com,
26 May 2026
-
There is even, perhaps, a hint of incestuous desire.—
K.J. Yossman,
Variety,
26 May 2026
Cite this Entry
“Trace.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/trace. Accessed 30 May. 2026.
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