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
Chicago Tribune, 14 July 2025
The Library of Michigan traces it to the Ojibwe word Washtenong, meaning Grand River, farther district or land beyond, according to Michigan State University.
—Jenna Prestininzi, Freep.com, 7 July 2025
Isabel Rivera, Miami Herald, 25 July 2025
Yet, there was no trace of ill-feeling on stage Friday.
—Lily Ford, HollywoodReporter, 25 July 2025
See All Example Sentences for trace
Verb
More top sports stories: Mahari brings not just the vibrant cuisines of the African diaspora to Chicago, but chefs tracing their cultures and blazing their own paths, writes Tribune critic Louisa Kung Liu Chu.
—Chicago Tribune, 14 July 2025
The Library of Michigan traces it to the Ojibwe word Washtenong, meaning Grand River, farther district or land beyond, according to Michigan State University.
—Jenna Prestininzi, Freep.com, 7 July 2025
Noun
The agency’s dive team, missing persons unit, marine patrol and drone unit were deployed to locate the SUV but saw no trace of the missing driver.
—Isabel Rivera, Miami Herald, 25 July 2025
Yet, there was no trace of ill-feeling on stage Friday.
—Lily Ford, HollywoodReporter, 25 July 2025
See All Example Sentences for trace
Recent Examples of Synonyms for trace
Verb
-
Betts spent the All-Star break — his first healthy break when he wasn’t named an All-Star since 2015 — back in the Nashville, Tenn., area, working out at a facility and continuing his deluge of swings that have defined his season.—
Fabian Ardaya,
New York Times,
20 July 2025
-
Among moderate caffeine users—defined as consuming less than 400 milligrams (mg) per day—the increase tends to be relatively small.—
MD Published,
Verywell Health,
19 July 2025
Verb
-
According to The Next, which tracks injuries in the league, there have been more than 140 injuries so far this season.—
Michael Marot,
Chicago Tribune,
22 July 2025
-
Watching the way the media tracked Collins from his departure from Wembley to his arrival in Philadelphia was inadvertently comical at the time and remains so.—
David Browne,
Rolling Stone,
22 July 2025
Noun
-
The second process for forming a condensation trail occurs in air that is clear, but almost fully saturated with water vapor.—
Marshall Shepherd,
Forbes.com,
19 July 2025
-
The designation notes the city's status as a year-round destination with its extensive trails offering outdoor recreational activities fit for all four seasons.—
Jenna Prestininzi,
Freep.com,
19 July 2025
Noun
-
As Firefly Aerospace’s Blue Ghost Mission 1 successfully landed its 6-foot-tall lunar lander on the moon’s surface around 2:34 a.m. Sunday morning, cheers erupted at the watch party at Haute Spot in Cedar Park, just down the road from where 50 Firefly operators monitored the landing.—
Karoline Leonard,
Austin American Statesman,
30 July 2025
-
Several road projects are in progress around the new Department of Veterans Affairs medical center on Brownsboro Road, which is scheduled to open to patients in 2026.—
Leo Bertucci,
The Courier-Journal,
29 July 2025
Noun
-
There are flowerpots all the way to the edges of the paths for the mole crickets.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
22 July 2025
-
And to find paths of light, even in the dark corners.—
Jon Blistein,
Rolling Stone,
22 July 2025
Noun
-
Today, Raptor Ranch offers up-close bird flight demonstrations, falconry classes and conservation education while preserving fan-favorite Bedrock City relics.—
Tiffany Acosta,
AZCentral.com,
25 July 2025
-
One shine survived the era, and although its origins are unclear, the relic ultimately arrived at Germany’s Ethnological Museum of the National Museums in 1932.—
Andrew Paul Jul 24,
Popular Science,
24 July 2025
Noun
-
To prevent the shreds from clumping, anti-caking agents like cellulose (a plant fiber made from wood pulp) and potato starch are often added, which can steal moisture from the cheese, affecting its texture.—
Katie Rosenhouse,
Southern Living,
23 July 2025
-
Northwestern’s leadership chooses not to afford the members of its community a shred of respect.—
Luis A. Nunes Amaral,
Chicago Tribune,
24 June 2025
Noun
-
Chewing damage is your first hint night-feeding larva are present but hiding below during the daytime.—
Tom MacCubbin,
The Orlando Sentinel,
19 July 2025
-
With so many Internet sources to listen to and publish on, the public had a chance to be the hero of the story, all these hints of Gilbert Joubert Three Days of the Condor supervillainy just begging us to summon our inner Robert Redford to find him out.—
Steven Zeitchik,
HollywoodReporter,
19 July 2025
Cite this Entry
“Trace.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/trace. Accessed 2 Aug. 2025.
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