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
Adam Hurly, Robb Report, 30 Jan. 2026
The menswear store in the city’s upscale suburb of La Jolla traces its roots to 1950 when Jack Matzinger opened a conservative, traditional haberdashery on Girard Avenue.
—Jean E. Palmieri, Footwear News, 30 Jan. 2026
Stacey Lastoe, Southern Living, 30 Jan. 2026
In each place, searching for traces of Katharine Blodgett’s intellectual and personal footprint.
—Natalia Sánchez Loayza, Scientific American, 29 Jan. 2026
See All Example Sentences for trace
Verb
Ben traces the idea to his family’s utilitarian history, referencing candle bags that once carried fragile items without damage.
—Adam Hurly, Robb Report, 30 Jan. 2026
The menswear store in the city’s upscale suburb of La Jolla traces its roots to 1950 when Jack Matzinger opened a conservative, traditional haberdashery on Girard Avenue.
—Jean E. Palmieri, Footwear News, 30 Jan. 2026
Noun
Citrus seeds contain compounds called cyanogenic glycosides, which can release trace amounts of hydrogen cyanide, a naturally occurring chemical that, in larger amounts, can interfere with how the body uses oxygen, when seeds are thoroughly chewed or crushed.
—Stacey Lastoe, Southern Living, 30 Jan. 2026
In each place, searching for traces of Katharine Blodgett’s intellectual and personal footprint.
—Natalia Sánchez Loayza, Scientific American, 29 Jan. 2026
See All Example Sentences for trace
Recent Examples of Synonyms for trace
Verb
-
Freelancer's dogfighting represented a move away from the joystick revolution that had defined the space in the 90s, instead relying on a simplified flight model where the spacecraft followed the movement of the mouse.—
Alan Bradley,
Space.com,
31 Jan. 2026
-
There’s other things behind it, but this is defining, right?—
Ben Smith,
semafor.com,
31 Jan. 2026
Verb
-
Law enforcement tracked license plate readers until the Mercedes-Benz’s plate was not obscured and found that the car was registered to Lu, according to a criminal complaint.—
Sierra van der Brug,
Oc Register,
27 Jan. 2026
-
Newspapers tracked Armstrong’s impending arrival for weeks.—
Amelia Dhuga,
Condé Nast Traveler,
27 Jan. 2026
Noun
-
Mike doesn’t know it yet but his life is about to become tied up with that of Lou (Mark Ruffalo), the old-school, Columbo-style cop on his trail, and Sharon (Halle Berry), an insurance broker with connections to some of the richest men in the world.—
Damon Wise,
Deadline,
29 Jan. 2026
-
Park City and Deer Valley, Utah Park City clocks in as America’s largest ski area with 7,300 skiable acres and 330+ trails.—
Amy Tara Koch,
Robb Report,
29 Jan. 2026
Noun
-
Roads and Railways The government has led the push for infrastructure capital expenditure through the roads and railways sectors, both of which are expected to receive higher allocations in the budget.—
Ashutosh Joshi,
Bloomberg,
28 Jan. 2026
-
Under the watchful eye of sheriffs deputies who threatened to ticket anyone caught standing in the road, along with a small number of National Guard members, the protesters took turns screaming swears and warming up in nearby parked cars.—
Christopher Cann,
USA Today,
28 Jan. 2026
Noun
-
Investing in domestic mining is necessary but insufficient—recycling infrastructure offers a faster, less geopolitically fraught path to supply chain resilience that has historically been overlooked by previous administrations.—
Kristen Edgreen Kaufman,
Forbes.com,
27 Jan. 2026
-
The Buddhist temple was directly in the path of the project, threatening its displacement.—
Jessica Alvarado Gamez,
Denver Post,
27 Jan. 2026
Noun
-
If Multiverse of Madness was Raimi attempting to get weird in an era where superhero movies were too big, important, and established, Darkman is a relic of a time before there were really any sorts of expectations for the genre.—
James Grebey,
Vulture,
31 Jan. 2026
-
If these reflections leave you feeling content and connected, then your relationship likely still has a beating heart—and isn’t just a relic of a time long ago.—
Gabrielle Kassel,
SELF,
29 Jan. 2026
Noun
-
Medium shred Sized somewhere between the tiniest holes and the largest ones, this side of the grater is perfect for shredding carrots.—
Alana Al-Hatlani,
Southern Living,
27 Jan. 2026
-
The counter-move is that New England has no shred of Broncos tape on hand to prepare for Stidham.—
Luca Evans,
Denver Post,
24 Jan. 2026
Noun
-
People crafted narratives out of suspicions, rumors and hints, to fill a desperate need for an explanation.—
M. Gessen,
Mercury News,
27 Jan. 2026
-
Whereas Boyd was plain-spoken on purpose, Wheeler’s diction was always elevated and precise, with a hint of sarcasm.—
Nell Freudenberger,
Harpers Magazine,
27 Jan. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Trace.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/trace. Accessed 3 Feb. 2026.
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