1
as in outlines
to draw or make apparent the outline of
trace your hand onto this piece of paper
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
2
as in tracks
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 trails
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 streets
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 paths
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 relics
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 glimmers
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 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
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Recent Examples of traces
Natassia Paloma, USA Today, 19 June 2026
The film is set in a declining industrial city in Northeast China and traces a young man’s search for his father, a small-time schemer who chased quick riches during the freewheeling capitalist surge of the late 1990s and early 2000s in Southern China.
—Marcus Lim, Variety, 18 June 2026
The smaller San Jacinto fault traces a path 130 miles through Southern California, running more or less—but not entirely—parallel to the San Andreas fault.
—Jeffrey Kluger, Time, 18 June 2026
Ice Cube said the idea for BIG3 actually traces back to Atlanta.
—Christopher Harris, CBS News, 18 June 2026
The idea traces back to an unlikely find in the Wimbledon Lawn Tennis Museum archives.
—Pooja Mistry, Forbes.com, 18 June 2026
Reporting in the South China Morning Post traces the trend through Hailey and Justin Bieber’s endorsements and the broader biohacking scene.
—Allison Palmer, Charlotte Observer, 17 June 2026
Beginning with his Kentucky childhood, the book traces how Cruise's estrangement from his father influenced his decision to go into acting.
—Carly Tagen-Dye, PEOPLE, 17 June 2026
Florida Audubon also traces its roots back to Maitland.
—Patrick Connolly, The Orlando Sentinel, 12 June 2026
Adam England, PEOPLE, 18 June 2026
The demand the money is chasing The spending traces to a supply problem Alphabet has described in unusually blunt terms.
—Dara-Abasi Ita, Forbes.com, 18 June 2026
Lalley hoped to prove that when those cold spots disappeared, so would the last traces of order in the deck — giving him a way to show the existence of a cutoff.
—John Pavlus, Quanta Magazine, 17 June 2026
Willerslev and other researchers looked for traces of plague-causing bacteria in remains from four cemeteries near Siberia's Lake Baikal.
—ABC News, 17 June 2026
The first traces why Charlotte celebrates Juneteenth and how the tradition took root here.
—Charlotte Observer, 15 June 2026
Thus, traces of this quantum gravity theory or a fifth fundamental force appearing as deviations from Newton's laws should be testable with a wide range of experiments.
—Robert Lea, Space.com, 15 June 2026
But the papers didn’t contain any traces of drugs at all and the field tests the correction department uses are notoriously inaccurate, returning a false positive roughly four out of five times, according to the lawsuit, which cites a November 2024 city Department of Investigation report.
—John Annese, New York Daily News, 11 June 2026
Whale bones can then fossilize over time, leaving behind traces of what life looked like millions of years ago.
—Laura Baisas, Popular Science, 10 June 2026
Verb
Although Juneteenth is a nationwide celebration, the holiday traces its roots to Texas.
—Natassia Paloma, USA Today, 19 June 2026
The film is set in a declining industrial city in Northeast China and traces a young man’s search for his father, a small-time schemer who chased quick riches during the freewheeling capitalist surge of the late 1990s and early 2000s in Southern China.
—Marcus Lim, Variety, 18 June 2026
The smaller San Jacinto fault traces a path 130 miles through Southern California, running more or less—but not entirely—parallel to the San Andreas fault.
—Jeffrey Kluger, Time, 18 June 2026
Ice Cube said the idea for BIG3 actually traces back to Atlanta.
—Christopher Harris, CBS News, 18 June 2026
The idea traces back to an unlikely find in the Wimbledon Lawn Tennis Museum archives.
—Pooja Mistry, Forbes.com, 18 June 2026
Reporting in the South China Morning Post traces the trend through Hailey and Justin Bieber’s endorsements and the broader biohacking scene.
—Allison Palmer, Charlotte Observer, 17 June 2026
Beginning with his Kentucky childhood, the book traces how Cruise's estrangement from his father influenced his decision to go into acting.
—Carly Tagen-Dye, PEOPLE, 17 June 2026
Florida Audubon also traces its roots back to Maitland.
—Patrick Connolly, The Orlando Sentinel, 12 June 2026
Noun
It's believed a similar construction may have existed early on at Stonehenge itself, but any traces of that structure would have been erased as development continued into what is there today.
—Adam England, PEOPLE, 18 June 2026
The demand the money is chasing The spending traces to a supply problem Alphabet has described in unusually blunt terms.
—Dara-Abasi Ita, Forbes.com, 18 June 2026
Lalley hoped to prove that when those cold spots disappeared, so would the last traces of order in the deck — giving him a way to show the existence of a cutoff.
—John Pavlus, Quanta Magazine, 17 June 2026
Willerslev and other researchers looked for traces of plague-causing bacteria in remains from four cemeteries near Siberia's Lake Baikal.
—ABC News, 17 June 2026
The first traces why Charlotte celebrates Juneteenth and how the tradition took root here.
—Charlotte Observer, 15 June 2026
Thus, traces of this quantum gravity theory or a fifth fundamental force appearing as deviations from Newton's laws should be testable with a wide range of experiments.
—Robert Lea, Space.com, 15 June 2026
But the papers didn’t contain any traces of drugs at all and the field tests the correction department uses are notoriously inaccurate, returning a false positive roughly four out of five times, according to the lawsuit, which cites a November 2024 city Department of Investigation report.
—John Annese, New York Daily News, 11 June 2026
Whale bones can then fossilize over time, leaving behind traces of what life looked like millions of years ago.
—Laura Baisas, Popular Science, 10 June 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for traces
Verb
-
The Department of Transportation outlines the basic policies in major carriers’ contracts.—
Zach Wichter,
USA Today,
24 June 2026
-
This is the first of those reports, which outlines advocacy objectives for the upcoming fiscal year — one of which is taxpayer identity theft.—
Greg Iacurci,
CNBC,
24 June 2026
Verb
-
Most are left by parents or caregivers by accident, according to the organization Kids and Car Safety, which tracks such deaths.—
Janet Loehrke,
USA Today,
25 June 2026
-
The LineShine machine, housed at the National Supercomputing Center in China’s tech hub of Shenzhen, replaced the American titleholder El Capitan in the latest biannual TOP500 ranking, which tracks the world’s most powerful supercomputers.—
John Liu,
CNN Money,
24 June 2026
Noun
-
The deaths occurred during two separate incidents on June 12 and June 16 along trails in the park’s inner canyon, the park said in a news release.—
Tim Stelloh,
NBC news,
20 June 2026
-
While portions of the old WB&A are now light rail, much of its route has been made into bike trails in Anne Arundel and Prince George’s counties.—
Jacques Kelly,
Baltimore Sun,
20 June 2026
Noun
-
Located at Reed and First streets in downtown’s SoFA district, the building was purchased out of foreclosure in May for $175 million.—
Ryan Macasero,
Mercury News,
20 June 2026
-
The excavation, which began in September of last year and will conclude in July, uncovered a public bathhouse, residential blocks, luxury townhouses, streets, and a tower dating back nearly 2,000 years.—
Maria Mocerino,
Interesting Engineering,
20 June 2026
Noun
-
But some of the thousands of spectators roaming through sandy paths and knee-high grass were less bullish on AI’s role at the tournament and in golf in general.—
Jared Perlo,
NBC news,
21 June 2026
-
For the fifth annual Forbidden Door, AEW will join forces with New Japan Pro-Wrestling, CMLL and Stardom for a one-night showcase of the four promotions crossing paths at the SAP Center in San Jose, California, on Sunday, June 28.—
Rob Wolkenbrod,
Forbes.com,
20 June 2026
Noun
-
But the First Amendment is more than a few eloquent phrases about free speech, and its principles are far from historical relics.—
Nicole Russell,
USA Today,
18 June 2026
-
Even the rarest materials—Basra pearls, Golconda diamonds—get new life in a striking pair of earrings from Santi that mimic Maharaja ornamentation without feeling like ancient relics.—
Jill Newman,
Robb Report,
18 June 2026
Noun
-
This cool pearl blonde glimmers against a buttery backdrop for a sparkling champagne effect.—
Kaitlyn Yarborough,
Southern Living,
13 June 2026
-
Still, there are some glimmers of hope.—
Jonathan Lambert,
NPR,
13 June 2026
Noun
-
This vulnerability is exacerbated by public social media activity and widespread data leaks, offering cybercriminals crucial hints.—
Barry Collins,
Forbes.com,
23 June 2026
-
Just One is a cooperative word game where duplicate hints get eliminated.—
Hanna Wickes,
Sacbee.com,
23 June 2026
Cite this Entry
“Traces.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/traces. Accessed 25 Jun. 2026.
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