traces 1 of 2

present tense third-person singular of trace

traces

2 of 2

noun

plural of trace
1
2
3
4
5
6
as in hints
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

7
as in footsteps
the mark or impression made by a foot followed the traces of the deer into the deep woods

Synonyms & Similar Words

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 traces
Verb
Corruption across the political divide Much of this year’s fatigue traces back to a sense of hopelessness over systemic corruption, which ranks among voters’ biggest concerns, yet neither camp can claim the issue as its own, say experts. — Alessandra Freitas, CNN Money, 4 Oct. 2026 Withholding his feelings and observations from family and lovers while sharing them with the outside world, Chen traces variations of longing and desire. — Literary Hub, 2 Oct. 2026 Founding and expansion into energy (1953–1980) SK Group traces its origins to 1953, when founder Chey Jong-gun acquired Sunkyong Textiles after the Korean War. — Encyclopedia Britannica, 2 Oct. 2026 Bustle traces the military revival to McQueen, Ann Demeulemeester and Vaquera showing versions in spring 2026, with more brands piling in for fall by adding buttons and rope details. — Lauren Schuster, Kansas City Star, 30 Sep. 2026 Bustle traces the revival to spring 2026, when McQueen, Ann Demeulemeester and Vaquera showed versions, and notes that more brands have added buttons and rope details for fall. — Lauren Schuster, Miami Herald, 30 Sep. 2026 What to See A tribute to photographer Irving Penn at the MEP traces his career between 1947 and 2008, including legendary fashion photos from Paris, as well as his collaboration with Japanese designer Issey Miyake. — Lily Templeton, Footwear News, 29 Sep. 2026 Origins Of The Factor Rate The concept of a factor rate likely traces its roots back to traditional invoice factoring in industries like logistics, freight and textiles. — Nathan Mor, Forbes.com, 28 Sep. 2026 The New York Times‘ exhaustive list of the best TV shows of the 21st century traces its origin to a similar list of the best books a couple years ago. — Alex Weprin, HollywoodReporter, 25 Sep. 2026
Noun
Other researchers were hunting the agents online and finding traces of them on obscure message boards. — Gerrit De Vynck, Washington Post, 2 Oct. 2026 For instance, in 2024, archaeologists found that an ancient Egyptian vase in the shape of the deity Bes showed traces of chemical plant compounds known to produce hallucinations. — ArsTechnica, 2 Oct. 2026 Researchers found that the agents eventually moved from publicly visible URL query scans toward private accounts, potentially reducing the traces available to investigators. — Neetika Walter, Interesting Engineering, 1 Oct. 2026 Swaminarayan monks, who practice the eightfold version, see it as an important way to help eradicate all traces of desire and remain singularly focused on God. — Bhakti Mamtora, The Conversation, 30 Sep. 2026 The open space connects with a dining area, where traces of Somerset House’s DNA are on display. — Keith Flanagan, Architectural Digest, 29 Sep. 2026 By the time Simon helped with the redecoration, her dad had settled into another chapter of life, selling arcade games and raising his family, and leaving the traces of his former career stored in a large collection of Kodachrome slides. — Emily Witt, New Yorker, 26 Sep. 2026 Reading the casebooks, reading in other archives, but also a sense of reading the cityscape, seeking traces of these lives that had been and gone and yet felt extremely close to me. — Robert Sullivan, Vogue, 26 Sep. 2026 Logs, traces, audit records and recovery evidence may be needed when that cloud account is compromised or unavailable. — Expert Panel®, Forbes.com, 24 Sep. 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for traces
Verb
  • This text outlines eight successive stages of yoga aimed at reaching mental tranquility through focus on God.
    — Bhakti Mamtora, The Conversation, 30 Sep. 2026
  • The settlement also outlines more robust and user-friendly parental controls, stronger age verification measures TikTok must take, and stronger content moderation protocols.
    — ABC News, ABC News, 25 Sep. 2026
Verb
  • Blow Yourself Up is a love story that tracks the evolution of the internet from toy to utility to hellscape, the core technological advance of our lifetime.
    — Literary Hub, Literary Hub, 2 Oct. 2026
  • Related Stories The story takes place over four days in December and tracks four women spanning three generations.
    — Naman Ramachandran, Variety, 1 Oct. 2026
Noun
  • Meteors can appear anywhere in the sky, and those seen farther from the radiant can leave longer trails.
    — Jamie Carter, Space.com, 2 Oct. 2026
  • The process to assemble one of the country’s largest rails-to-trails corridors took about two decades, spanning four mayoral administrations.
    — Zachary Hansen, AJC.com, 1 Oct. 2026
Noun
  • For years, Calderon as a friendly face in the streets, gas stations and grocery stores of the small Johnson County town.
    — Eleanor Nash, Kansas City Star, 1 Oct. 2026
  • The narrow streets around the sultan’s palace are filled with backpackers, street vendors, tour guides hawking their services, and office workers popping out for a coffee amid the madness.
    — Lilit Marcus, CNN Money, 1 Oct. 2026
Noun
  • Through quests, combat, exploration and cooperative adventures, players can forge their own paths through the medieval fantasy world of Gielinor.
    — Payton Turkeltaub, Variety, 3 Oct. 2026
  • Oracular methods such as automatism and tarot cards would lead Colquhoun down many paths in her search for knowledge, while the duality of the androgyne fascinated her in her art and writing.
    — Marina Warner, The New York Review of Books, 3 Oct. 2026
Noun
  • Behind the reception desk, a wall of 109 wooden pigeonholes doubles as an art installation, with some compartments displaying replicas of the property's original room keys and others filled with nautical relics reflecting Naples's coastal allure.
    — Condé Nast, Condé Nast Traveler, 29 Sep. 2026
  • 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
Noun
  • These sensual glimmers are no match for the antagonistic sociality of straight male relationships, which, in this novel, quickly convert sympathy or desire into rivalry and aggression.
    — Literary Hub, Literary Hub, 24 Sep. 2026
  • These are the glimmers of something in the fringes that keep The Cherry Orchard, even in our age of jonesing to burn it all down, so miraculously delicate and devastating.
    — Sara Holdren, Vulture, 18 Sep. 2026
Noun
  • Instead measure it by improvement, bright spots and hints of hope.
    — Miami Herald, Miami Herald, 24 Sep. 2026
  • That’s the Stuart who shows up periodically to give them clues or hints to try to help them on their way.
    — Nellie Andreeva, Deadline, 24 Sep. 2026

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Cite this Entry

“Traces.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/traces. Accessed 6 Oct. 2026.

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