to efface

Examples

• All

• Are there historical monuments or even prehistoric ones attesting to early inhabitants, or have they been effaced?

  Academic text (2009)

• Eventually, the announcement on the big board of the arrival of their plane was effaced.

  Fiction book (2000)

• Sacred sites have been effaced; graves have been robbed.

  Academic text (2000)

• So hate wants to efface and wipe out the thing that's healed, you know?

• He tried to efface slavery and anti slavery from memory altogether.

• The graffiti was quickly effaced from the wall, leaving the surface clean and untouched.

• After a heavy rain, the footprints in the mud were effaced almost entirely, making it hard to tell who had passed by.

• The old memories were effaced from his mind as he focused on building a new life.

Synonyms

T

to take out

vsto efface

∞ 1.9

To remove something from a place or container

means disappearance entirely rather than only relocation or removal

R

to remove

vsto efface

∞ 1.5

To move something or someone away from a place

is specifically about making something disappear entirely rather than general removal

E

to eliminate

vsto efface

• NSFW

769 3.4

Remove or kill something completely so it is gone

is the general idea of making something disappear fully

W

to wipe out

vsto efface

347 4.2

Destroy something so nothing is left

covers total disappearance generally rather than specific violent removal

W

to wipe off

vsto efface

131 1.0

Remove dirt or marks from a surface by rubbing with a cloth

is the wider idea of making something disappear in any medium

E

to eradicate

vsto efface

84 6.6

Remove something harmful completely, for example a disease or pest

is the neutral notion of total removal without harm focus

O

to obliterate

vsto efface

67 7.5

To destroy something completely so nothing remains

is the broader idea of complete disappearance in many forms

E

to exterminate

vsto efface

• NSFW

61 6.9

To destroy something completely, often on purpose

is the broader sense of making something vanish without violence

S

to sweep away

vsto efface

43 3.8

To get rid of something completely so it no longer exists

is the general process of making things disappear completely

D

to dispel

vsto efface

40 4.6

To make a feeling or idea go away

targets disappearance of anything, not only mental states or ideas

S

to strip away

vsto efface

39 4.0

Remove an outside layer or covering from something to show what is under it

is about complete disappearance rather than a gradual stripping process

C

to clear away

vsto efface

25 1.8

To take things away from a place to make it tidy

means full disappearance rather than only tidying or relocating items

E

to expunge

vsto efface

22 8.8

To remove all signs of something like a record or memory so it cannot be found

is the general act of making something disappear completely

E

to erase

vsto efface

19 1.6

Remove marks, writing, or digital files so they are no longer visible

applies to making anything disappear completely not only marks

E

to excise

vsto efface

• Formal

16 7.2

To cut out part of a body or text

covers full disappearance generally, not only removal by cutting

B

to blot out

vsto efface

14 5.4

Hide something so you cannot see it or remember it

focuses on full removal rather than only hiding or covering

E

to extinguish

vsto efface

14 5.5

End something completely, for example a custom or a debt

focuses on making something vanish completely rather than only ending processes

S

to sweep out

vsto efface

10 2.2

To remove dirt or leaves from a place using a broom

is about complete disappearance without implying a sweeping method

R

to rub out

vsto efface

7 4.3

Erase a mark by using an eraser or cloth until it disappears

is the broader concept of complete disappearance not limited to marks

S

to score out

vsto efface

• UK

1 5.2

To draw a line through written words to show they are wrong

is about full erasure across contexts not only crossed-out text

D

to dislimn

vsto efface

• Archaic

1 9.9

To make the outline or image faint and hard to see

means making something vanish completely rather than softening its edges

Antonyms

P

to preserve

504 3.4

To keep people and things safe from harm or change

R

to retain

19 3.0

To hold something inside so it does not escape

How Complete

to obliterate

67 7.5

to efface

3 8.1

to erase

19 1.6

to remove

∞ 1.5

Surface Forms

Morphology

Etymology