efface

American  

[ih-feys] / ɪˈfeɪs /

verb (used with object)

effaced, effacing

1. to wipe out; do away with; expunge.

   to efface one's unhappy memories.

2. to rub out, erase, or obliterate (outlines, traces, inscriptions, etc.).

3. to make (oneself ) inconspicuous; withdraw (oneself ) modestly or shyly.

---

efface British  

/ ɪˈfeɪs /

verb

1. to obliterate or make dim

   to efface a memory

2. to make (oneself) inconspicuous or humble through modesty, cowardice, or obsequiousness

3. to rub out (a line, drawing, etc); erase

---

Other Word Forms

• effaceable adjective
• effacement noun
• effacer noun
• uneffaceable adjective
• uneffaced adjective

Etymology

Origin of efface

From the Middle French word effacer, dating back to 1480–90; ef-, face

Example Sentences

"You may have the power to bring down the government. But you cannot efface reality," he said.

From BBC • Sep. 8, 2025

It’s exceedingly unlikely that Leo had anything to do with her murder, but the show doesn’t efface her tragedy, even as it reckons with the gravity of Leo’s.

From Los Angeles Times • Jun. 20, 2025

Clichés like these efface the complications of real relationships.

From New York Times • Apr. 21, 2020

But some feel privileging an object’s “universal” value can efface the particular history in which it is inscribed, as well as the experiences of the individuals who made it.

From Washington Post • Aug. 8, 2018

They seemed very small, and they tried to efface themselves in outside neglect, and the wild overgrown front yards tried to hide them from the street.

From "East of Eden" by John Steinbeck