erase
Americanverb (used with object)
-
to rub or scrape out, as letters or characters written, engraved, etc.; efface.
- Synonyms:
- obliterate, expunge
- Antonyms:
- restore
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to eliminate completely.
She couldn't erase the tragic scene from her memory.
-
to obliterate (material recorded on magnetic tape or a magnetic disk).
She erased the message.
- Antonyms:
- restore
-
to obliterate recorded material from (a magnetic tape or disk).
He accidentally erased the tape.
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Computers. to remove (data) from computer storage.
-
to exclude, replace, or refuse to recognize (the identity, experience, or contribution of a minority group or group member).
Framing rape as a woman’s issue erases men’s accounts of sexual violence from public discourse.
-
Slang. to murder.
The gang had to erase him before he informed on them.
verb (used without object)
-
to give way to effacement readily or easily.
-
to obliterate characters, letters, markings, etc., from something.
verb
-
to obliterate or rub out (something written, typed, etc)
-
(tr) to destroy all traces of; remove completely
time erases grief
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to remove (a recording) from (magnetic tape)
-
(tr) computing to replace (data) on a storage device with characters representing an absence of data
Synonym Usage
See cancel.
Other Word Forms
Etymology
Origin of erase
First recorded in 1595–1605; from Latin ērāsus (past participle of ērādere ), equivalent to ē- e- 1 + rāsus “scraped”; see raze
Explanation
When you erase something, you eliminate or delete it, often by physically wiping it out. It's easy to erase chalk from a blackboard, but not so easy to erase graffiti from the side of a building. There are several ways to erase: you can erase a pencil mark with an eraser; you can digitally erase information on your computer or recording device; and you can figuratively erase something by removing all evidence of it. Peaceful people hope to erase war from the earth, for example — to take away every last trace of it. The Latin root eradere means "scrape out."
Vocabulary lists containing erase
"American Names"
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5-letter words, List 1
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Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
Trial International, a Geneva-based justice campaign group, said 65 survivors, witnesses and experts testified before the court about the Erase the Slate operation.
From BBC • Dec. 16, 2025
Appeared in the October 11, 2025, print edition as 'Industrials Plunge 878 Points; Nasdaq, S&P Erase Weekly Gains'.
From The Wall Street Journal • Oct. 10, 2025
On iPhones, open the Settings app, tap General → Transfer or Reset iPhone → Erase All Contents and Settings.
From Washington Post • Oct. 31, 2022
On the Pixel 6A, there’s also a toggle at the bottom of the screen to switch between two modes: Erase and Camouflage.
From The Verge • Jul. 22, 2022
She would say, Erase all negative thoughts—listen for God's instructions.
From "March Forward, Girl" by Melba Pattillo Beals
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
