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
Carly Tagen-Dye, People.com, 17 May 2025
Chicago police were able to trace the box truck to the 1500 block of Pershing Road and the three men were taken into custody.
—Clifford Ward, Chicago Tribune, 16 May 2025
Muri Assunção, New York Daily News, 15 May 2025
Inside an Ancient City: During a visit to Palmyra, reporters found traces of the many forces that had fought over it and monuments reduced to rubble.
—Raja Abdulrahim, New York Times, 15 May 2025
See All Example Sentences for trace
Verb
Buy Now 13 of 15 ‘Mark Twain’ by Ron Chernow
The Pulitzer-Prize winning biographer returns with a compelling account of author Mark Twain, tracing his life from his Southern childhood to his acclaimed literary career.
—Carly Tagen-Dye, People.com, 17 May 2025
Chicago police were able to trace the box truck to the 1500 block of Pershing Road and the three men were taken into custody.
—Clifford Ward, Chicago Tribune, 16 May 2025
Noun
On May 6, officials launched a massive search-and-rescue mission spanning nearly 600 square miles and lasting five days, but found no trace of the missing camper.
—Muri Assunção, New York Daily News, 15 May 2025
Inside an Ancient City: During a visit to Palmyra, reporters found traces of the many forces that had fought over it and monuments reduced to rubble.
—Raja Abdulrahim, New York Times, 15 May 2025
See All Example Sentences for trace
Recent Examples of Synonyms for trace
Verb
-
Morrison, along with the Doors, were early pioneers of the psychedelic blues-rock that would define the late 1960s and early 1970s.—
Madison E. Goldberg,
People.com,
20 May 2025
-
Sentenced as a young adult to 60 years behind bars, Maurice’s story could have ended there, defined forever by one devastating moment.—
Elizabeth Hinton,
Hartford Courant,
20 May 2025
Verb
-
According to FlightAware, which tracks flight delays and cancelLations, there were 37 departures from and 42 arrivals to Newark canceled as of 11 a.m. ET on Sunday.—
Zach Wichter,
USA Today,
12 May 2025
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Nonetheless, investors looking for attractive picks amid the ongoing volatility can track the recommendations of top Wall Street analysts, who have the expertise to select stocks with the potential to thrive despite short-term challenges.—
TipRanks.com Staff,
CNBC,
11 May 2025
Noun
-
There is very little to no shade, and hikers should bring at least a gallon of water on the trail.—
Maura Fox,
San Diego Union-Tribune,
19 May 2025
-
In 2023, another grizzly in the region was killed, after fatally mauling a woman on a forest trail west of Yellowstone and attacking a person in Idaho three years before that.—
Sarah Lynch Baldwin,
CBS News,
19 May 2025
Noun
-
The match concluded a wild road trip that saw Sporting play three road matches in eight days.—
Daniel Sperry,
Kansas City Star,
18 May 2025
-
The Antelope Slot Canyon Tours bus could be seen on one side of the road across from a totaled sedan on the same side of the road.—
Kimberlee Speakman,
People.com,
17 May 2025
Noun
-
While embarking on mission to avenge Joel Miller (Pedro Pascal), the duo cross paths with a dangerous militant faction known as the Washington Liberation Front (W.L.F.) led by Isaac (Jeffrey Wright).—
Anthony Robledo,
USA Today,
11 May 2025
-
But with the Civil War, the hopes and dreams of the Declaration of Independence were put on the path to fulfillment and America’s best years were unleashed.—
Pam Kragen,
San Diego Union-Tribune,
11 May 2025
Noun
-
Sovereigns are stuck because their tools—and their stories—are relics.—
Jules Herd,
Forbes.com,
13 May 2025
-
Mao’s violent mass movement shut down schools, paralyzed the government, shattered the economy, destroyed religious and cultural relics – turmoil that only subsided after the leader’s death in 1976.—
Nectar Gan,
CNN Money,
12 May 2025
Noun
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The Stirling family expects that all video and audio footage along with every report and shred of evidence related to this deeply disturbing shooting be preserved for presentation in due course as part of the lawsuit the family will be pursuing.—
Becca Longmire,
People.com,
8 May 2025
-
The upshot: Not a shred of pink was seen at the Peter Rabbit themed affair.—
Madeleine Marr,
Miami Herald,
8 Apr. 2025
Noun
-
More recently, the brand has ventured into makeup — infusing its bestsellers with hints of color and forging the way for the skinification of makeup.—
Luisa Zargani,
Footwear News,
21 May 2025
-
Scientists in Taiwan looking for a ninth planet in the solar system claim to have found hints of it in archive images of the night sky taken by long-dead infrared telescopes.—
Jamie Carter,
Forbes.com,
21 May 2025
Cite this Entry
“Trace.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/trace. Accessed 24 May. 2025.
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