1
as in to define
to draw or make apparent the outline of
trace your hand onto this piece of paper
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
2
as in to track
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 trail
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 road
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 path
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 relic
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 shred
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 hint
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
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of trace
Robert Lea, Space.com, 5 June 2026
Now, Vision Media, a screening company that handles awards promotion for studios like Disney, NBCUniversal, Netflix and Paramount, is investigating whether the leak can be traced back to security vulnerabilities in its platform.
—Winston Cho, HollywoodReporter, 4 June 2026
Quanta Magazine, 29 May 2026
But history suggests that outbreaks are controlled less by where people are located than by whether governments can identify cases quickly, trace contacts, isolate infections and maintain public trust.
—Katrine L. Wallace, The Conversation, 29 May 2026
See All Example Sentences for trace
Verb
Its sparse consumption of material and the fact it is obscured by the plane of the Milky Way from our vantage point have made tracing this wind difficult.
—Robert Lea, Space.com, 5 June 2026
Now, Vision Media, a screening company that handles awards promotion for studios like Disney, NBCUniversal, Netflix and Paramount, is investigating whether the leak can be traced back to security vulnerabilities in its platform.
—Winston Cho, HollywoodReporter, 4 June 2026
Noun
The status of nitrogenase as an informal quantum computing benchmark traces back to a 2011 meeting Microsoft organized to explore applications for its nascent quantum computing group.
—Quanta Magazine, 29 May 2026
But history suggests that outbreaks are controlled less by where people are located than by whether governments can identify cases quickly, trace contacts, isolate infections and maintain public trust.
—Katrine L. Wallace, The Conversation, 29 May 2026
See All Example Sentences for trace
Recent Examples of Synonyms for trace
Verb
-
But Kyiv’s early embrace of drones, and the mass-industrialization of their accuracy and power, has begun to exact a defining toll on Moscow.—
Nick Paton Walsh,
CNN Money,
30 May 2026
-
Taken together, those cultural threads help explain why food – and especially meat – carries an outsized symbolic role in Texas politics, where the official state dish, adopted in 1977, is chili, defined by its significant meat base.—
Rebecca Morin,
USA Today,
29 May 2026
Verb
-
Across the railway tracks again, Gertrud walking next to him, Ursula and her sister trailing behind.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
3 June 2026
-
Asian markets traded higher on Wednesday, tracking gains on Wall Street with the major averages notching fresh record closes overnight.—
Anniek Bao,
CNBC,
3 June 2026
Noun
-
The park’s 14 trails range from old mining roads to the perimeter of Kathleen Lake to Thechàl Dhâl, also known as Sheep Mountain, with northern wildlife and Southern Tutchone cultural heritage along the way.—
Hanna Wickes,
Kansas City Star,
4 June 2026
-
For more insider tips on Southern California’s beaches, trails and parks, check out past editions of The Wild.—
Jaclyn Cosgrove,
Los Angeles Times,
4 June 2026
Noun
-
Both were able to spot tracks, on dusty roads, and follow the tracks to successfully find wildlife.—
Condé Nast,
Condé Nast Traveler,
3 June 2026
-
Nine crucial years of expansion and solidification of the pernicious institution went by, speeding the nation’s road toward a grinding war.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
3 June 2026
Noun
-
The latter can seem more like a game of dodgeball with bikes weaving in and out of your path.—
Condé Nast,
Condé Nast Traveler,
2 June 2026
-
Anger, denial, and fear are merely steps along the path of grieving.—
Jonathan Odden,
Artforum,
2 June 2026
Noun
-
Otherwise, there's The Captain Daniel Packer Inne, a relic kept intact since 1756 with seafood dishes that match its coastal atmosphere.—
Kira Turnbull,
Travel + Leisure,
6 June 2026
-
Other public recognitions and relics of Kahanamoku’s story exist around Orange County.—
Laylan Connelly,
Oc Register,
3 June 2026
Noun
-
Angie is made more complex inside a later version, who is bruised and angry, ready to rip any and everyone to shreds.—
David John Chávez,
Mercury News,
29 May 2026
-
The camera locks Henri in its sights, catching his every empty boast and complicit deed as Hitler’s Final Solution looms, and offering nary a shred of redemption or reassurance.—
Justin Chang,
New Yorker,
27 May 2026
Noun
-
The gold bar could be found after any clue, organizers said, with additional hints being released throughout the summer, gradually making the location of the gold easier to identify.—
Mustafa Qadri,
CNN Money,
2 June 2026
-
There was just a hint of fog, which would thicken a little toward dawn.—
Wyatt Williams,
Harpers Magazine,
2 June 2026
Cite this Entry
“Trace.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/trace. Accessed 7 Jun. 2026.
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