as in to erase
to destroy all traces of
time and the weather have expunged any evidence that a thriving community once existed here
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Recent Examples of expunge
Secure systems like these are often set to expunge questions and answers from their memory once a session is done, so classified information is neither used for later training nor retained in any memory.
—
Erik German, Fortune, 11 Apr. 2026
Kornyev’s client is the barely hanging on Stepinak (Aleksandr Filippenko), a Bolshevik targeted by the secret police told to muzzle and expunge dissenters.
—Randy Myers, Mercury News, 26 Mar. 2026
There is a process for requesting to have your DNA expunged from CODIS, according to the FBI, but Glaberson, coauthor of the report, said very few people appear to have successfully done so, meaning their DNA will likely remain there in perpetuity.
—N'dea Yancey-Bragg, USA Today, 24 Mar. 2026
In September, roughly a month after Kansas City received the federal subpoena for records related to Washington, the nonprofit leader filed petitions in both state and federal courts to have his criminal records expunged.
—Kacen Bayless, Kansas City Star, 24 Mar. 2026
See All Example Sentences for expunge
Erik German, Fortune, 11 Apr. 2026
Kornyev’s client is the barely hanging on Stepinak (Aleksandr Filippenko), a Bolshevik targeted by the secret police told to muzzle and expunge dissenters.
—Randy Myers, Mercury News, 26 Mar. 2026
There is a process for requesting to have your DNA expunged from CODIS, according to the FBI, but Glaberson, coauthor of the report, said very few people appear to have successfully done so, meaning their DNA will likely remain there in perpetuity.
—N'dea Yancey-Bragg, USA Today, 24 Mar. 2026
In September, roughly a month after Kansas City received the federal subpoena for records related to Washington, the nonprofit leader filed petitions in both state and federal courts to have his criminal records expunged.
—Kacen Bayless, Kansas City Star, 24 Mar. 2026
See All Example Sentences for expunge
Recent Examples of Synonyms for expunge
Verb
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Jalen Brunson scored 30 points, Karl-Anthony Towns finished with 18 points and 12 rebounds, and the Knicks erased a 14-point second-half deficit to beat the San Antonio Spurs 105-95 in Game 1 on Wednesday night.—
Tim Reynolds,
Los Angeles Times,
4 June 2026
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Her belief in a universal truth was not unique, but her pursuit of it was relentless and oddly self-erasing.—
Eliza Goodpasture,
ARTnews.com,
3 June 2026
Verb
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How did the United States eradicate them?—
Eduardo Cuevas,
USA Today,
2 June 2026
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For an easy summer cleaning tip, wash towels in hot water and toss 1/2 cup of baking soda into the rinse cycle to eradicate stale scents.—
Emerson Latham,
Better Homes & Gardens,
30 May 2026
Verb
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And actually one of his first public acts after signing the Constitution was to petition Congress to abolish slavery.—
Dana Taylor,
USA Today,
1 June 2026
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Avila Chevalier’s campaign priorities also include abolishing ICE, adding affordable housing and securing federal funds to repair the city’s public housing.—
Joseph Strauss,
Sun Sentinel,
1 June 2026
Verb
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Fueled by large stocks of critically dry vegetation and extreme winds, the fires killed 31 people, destroyed nearly 12,000 homes, and forced over 150,000 evacuations.—
Doyle Rice,
USA Today,
31 May 2026
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But satellite images reviewed by CNN show how Iran has used simple equipment such as bulldozers and dump trucks to counter those costly campaigns — suggesting that Tehran’s missile capabilities can’t be destroyed just by targeting tunnel entrances, experts said.—
Tamara Qiblawi,
CNN Money,
31 May 2026
Cite this Entry
“Expunge.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/expunge. Accessed 7 Jun. 2026.
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