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
Monti Carlo, AJC.com, 3 Apr. 2026
Curated by Alex Gartenfeld, Irma and Norman Braman Artistic Director, alongside Gean Moreno, Director of the Art + Research Center, Perfect Nonsense traces Korine’s enduring fascination with the American teenager, the outsider, and the intersection of celebrity and authenticity.
—Robert Lang, Deadline, 2 Apr. 2026
The first level is an exhibition and event area that traces the evolution of Porsche Design Timepieces since 1972.
—Carol Besler, Robb Report, 2 Apr. 2026
The style traces to Welsh rarebit (a pub classic of cheese sauce over toast) and found a second life here when the Younkers Tea Room started ladling its signature sauce over hamburgers mid‑century.
—Susan Stapleton, Des Moines Register, 1 Apr. 2026
For fans who appreciate how smaller-market teams can still compete on equal ground, much of that structure traces back to his vision.
—Samantha Agate, Kansas City Star, 1 Apr. 2026
Their extreme longevity traces back to a lifestyle that seems almost frozen in time.
—Samantha Agate, Miami Herald, 31 Mar. 2026
Temporary exhibitions are hung along the spiraling ramp that traces the interior of the main structure, offering multiple vantage points to view each artwork (and do some serious people watching).
—Condé Nast, Condé Nast Traveler, 30 Mar. 2026
At the Detroit Historical Museum, an exhibit traces the dangerous and often emotional journey people took north, many traveling hundreds of miles on foot with Canada as their final destination.
—Rachelle Graham, CBS News, 30 Mar. 2026
Moná Thomas, PEOPLE, 9 Apr. 2026
The Sacramento district attorney’s office declined to file charges after a blood test showed there were no traces of drugs or alcohol in her system.
—Clara Harter, Los Angeles Times, 7 Apr. 2026
Over the next 250 years, a succession of owners renovated it, each leaving behind traces of their own tastes and priorities.
—Tori Latham, Robb Report, 6 Apr. 2026
Our choice today is laced with traces of cocoa.
—Ed Silverman, STAT, 6 Apr. 2026
Then gentrification gradually pushed most traces of Hispanic culture out of our neighborhood.
—Jeffrey Steingarten, Vogue, 5 Apr. 2026
Accompanied by a poppy, girl power-friendly soundtrack, The Testaments is a coming-of-age series composed of pieces that will be familiar to fans of the genre, with traces of Blume and Mean Girls and The Baby-Sitters Club and more.
—Daniel Fienberg, HollywoodReporter, 2 Apr. 2026
Before the fossils discovered in China, scientists saw traces of this symmetric body type in fossil tracks, but not the critters themselves.
—ABC News, 2 Apr. 2026
The works retain visible traces of labor—knots, frayed edges, layered threads—emphasizing the physical act of making.
—Olga Garcia-Mayoral, Miami Herald, 31 Mar. 2026
Verb
Origins of this Greek watermelon salad recipe Chef Karatassos traces this refreshing watermelon salad back to its Mediterranean roots, where simple seasonal ingredients take center stage.
—Monti Carlo, AJC.com, 3 Apr. 2026
Curated by Alex Gartenfeld, Irma and Norman Braman Artistic Director, alongside Gean Moreno, Director of the Art + Research Center, Perfect Nonsense traces Korine’s enduring fascination with the American teenager, the outsider, and the intersection of celebrity and authenticity.
—Robert Lang, Deadline, 2 Apr. 2026
The first level is an exhibition and event area that traces the evolution of Porsche Design Timepieces since 1972.
—Carol Besler, Robb Report, 2 Apr. 2026
The style traces to Welsh rarebit (a pub classic of cheese sauce over toast) and found a second life here when the Younkers Tea Room started ladling its signature sauce over hamburgers mid‑century.
—Susan Stapleton, Des Moines Register, 1 Apr. 2026
For fans who appreciate how smaller-market teams can still compete on equal ground, much of that structure traces back to his vision.
—Samantha Agate, Kansas City Star, 1 Apr. 2026
Their extreme longevity traces back to a lifestyle that seems almost frozen in time.
—Samantha Agate, Miami Herald, 31 Mar. 2026
Temporary exhibitions are hung along the spiraling ramp that traces the interior of the main structure, offering multiple vantage points to view each artwork (and do some serious people watching).
—Condé Nast, Condé Nast Traveler, 30 Mar. 2026
At the Detroit Historical Museum, an exhibit traces the dangerous and often emotional journey people took north, many traveling hundreds of miles on foot with Canada as their final destination.
—Rachelle Graham, CBS News, 30 Mar. 2026
Noun
Over the years, red wolves began to crossbreed with coyotes, keeping those genetic traces alive through the resulting hybrids.
—Moná Thomas, PEOPLE, 9 Apr. 2026
The Sacramento district attorney’s office declined to file charges after a blood test showed there were no traces of drugs or alcohol in her system.
—Clara Harter, Los Angeles Times, 7 Apr. 2026
Over the next 250 years, a succession of owners renovated it, each leaving behind traces of their own tastes and priorities.
—Tori Latham, Robb Report, 6 Apr. 2026
Our choice today is laced with traces of cocoa.
—Ed Silverman, STAT, 6 Apr. 2026
Then gentrification gradually pushed most traces of Hispanic culture out of our neighborhood.
—Jeffrey Steingarten, Vogue, 5 Apr. 2026
Accompanied by a poppy, girl power-friendly soundtrack, The Testaments is a coming-of-age series composed of pieces that will be familiar to fans of the genre, with traces of Blume and Mean Girls and The Baby-Sitters Club and more.
—Daniel Fienberg, HollywoodReporter, 2 Apr. 2026
Before the fossils discovered in China, scientists saw traces of this symmetric body type in fossil tracks, but not the critters themselves.
—ABC News, 2 Apr. 2026
The works retain visible traces of labor—knots, frayed edges, layered threads—emphasizing the physical act of making.
—Olga Garcia-Mayoral, Miami Herald, 31 Mar. 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for traces
Verb
-
The state's defense argued that the law outlines the restrictions explicitly and that the state, in its mission of advancing children's education, has legitimate reason to ensure public school materials are appropriate.—
CBS News,
CBS News,
8 Apr. 2026
-
This report outlines the plant’s design, location, and safety systems.—
Aamir Khollam,
Interesting Engineering,
31 Mar. 2026
Verb
-
The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services tracks whether states can handle the most common type of benefit application within a 45-day window.—
Sam Whitehead,
CBS News,
9 Apr. 2026
-
Windward, a maritime intelligence firm that tracks international shipping, said all ships transiting the strait must still coordinate safe passage with Iranian authorities, who are requiring hefty tolls of up to $1 a barrel for outbound oil, paid in cryptocurrency.—
Stan Choe,
Chicago Tribune,
8 Apr. 2026
Noun
-
In September 2023, Marsha Allen was vacationing in Gatlinburg, Tennessee, known for its beautiful fall colors and hiking trails.—
Peter Van Sant,
CBS News,
5 Apr. 2026
-
The white-gold indices, also hand-engraved, and star trails, evoking the night sky, are joined by 18-karat-pink-gold hands, a visible flying-tourbillon cage, a dual-register split-seconds flyback chronograph, and a semi-Gregorian perpetual calendar.—
Oren Hartov,
Robb Report,
4 Apr. 2026
Noun
-
There were concerns about traffic gridlock around the airport and neighboring streets.—
Miami Herald,
Miami Herald,
5 Apr. 2026
-
Olivia Munn has never looked more chic in an all-black fit and large black sunglasses on the streets of New York City on March 31.—
Escher Walcott,
PEOPLE,
4 Apr. 2026
Noun
-
So, while the dutiful reader is still turning over basic questions about the nature of witchcraft, the girls are already hurtling up the stairs and out of the basement, and Lucie is crossing paths with Isabelle, a hostile neighbor.—
Kristen Roupenian,
New Yorker,
6 Apr. 2026
-
White had crossed paths with Edelman once before, when the Patriots Hall of Famer addressed the team during a visit to the Celtics’ facility.—
Zack Cox,
Boston Herald,
5 Apr. 2026
Noun
-
These are not the polished relics of admirals and officers but the everyday possessions of working men who fought and died aboard a burning warship.—
Samantha Agate,
Fort Worth Star-Telegram,
5 Apr. 2026
-
The sculpture has spent decades inside one of around 16,000 unopened storage containers alongside other rare, uncatalogued relics.—
Andrew Paul,
Popular Science,
2 Apr. 2026
Noun
-
While the storm is looming, there are new glimmers of possibility—friends can become lovers, strangers can become friends on the subway, the supermarket aisles are charged with meaning.—
Andrew Marantz,
New Yorker,
5 Apr. 2026
-
But there are glimmers of hope beyond the carnage, too.—
Alison Foreman,
IndieWire,
30 Mar. 2026
Noun
-
There are hints tossed out to suggest his characters’ inner recesses.—
Richard Brody,
New Yorker,
7 Apr. 2026
-
There are hints that some forms of present animal life predated the Cambrian.—
ArsTechnica,
ArsTechnica,
2 Apr. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Traces.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/traces. Accessed 11 Apr. 2026.
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