efface

verb

ef·​face i-ˈfās How to pronounce efface (audio)
e-
effaced; effacing

transitive verb

1
: to eliminate or make indistinct by or as if by wearing away a surface
coins with dates effaced by wear
also : to cause to vanish
daylight effaced the stars
2
: to make (oneself) modestly or shyly inconspicuous
effaceable adjective
effacer noun

Examples of efface in a Sentence

coins with dates effaced by wear a memory effaced by time
Recent Examples on the Web
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.
In one image, a group of young girls throw peace signs in front of a building whose façade has been entirely effaced. M. Z. Adnan, New Yorker, 20 July 2025 Has any country been quite so successful in effacing a people through the ubiquity of their representation on stamps, in schoolboy games and on billboards for tourist destinations along Route 66? Andrew Moore, New York Times, 15 May 2025 The road not taken—and now rediscovered by Orozco—is the reintroduction of the ancient Marxist concept of use value,the dialectical opposite of exchange value, and, more recently, also the sole form of resisting exhibition value, which has totally effaced the concepts of material use and function. Benjamin H. D. Buchloh, Artforum, 1 June 2025 Along with the barriers between spectators and performers, the era also effaced the boundary between artists and critics. Richard Brody, New Yorker, 6 June 2025 See All Example Sentences for efface

Word History

Etymology

Middle English, from Anglo-French esfacer, effacer, from e- + face face

First Known Use

15th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Time Traveler
The first known use of efface was in the 15th century

Browse Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Efface.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/efface. Accessed 2 Aug. 2025.

Kids Definition

efface

verb
ef·​face i-ˈfās How to pronounce efface (audio)
e-
effaced; effacing
1
2
: to make unclear by or as if by rubbing out
effaceable adjective
effacement noun
effacer noun

More from Merriam-Webster on efface

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
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