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
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to
show current usage.
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Recent Examples of trace
The Editors, JSTOR Daily, 28 May 2025
Tangent Now worth more than Berkshire Hathaway, Walmart, JPMorgan Chase and Coca-Cola, combined, Nvidia has quite the humble origins, tracing its founding to a 1993 meeting between Huang and his two cofounders at a Denny’s diner.
—Derek Saul, Forbes.com, 28 May 2025
Elizabeth Anne Brown, New York Times, 19 May 2025
For example, some lineages found in Siberian and Iberian fossils show genetic traces of North American horses.
—Paul Smaglik, Discover Magazine, 15 May 2025
See All Example Sentences for trace
Verb
Historians and social scientists have traced the history of gaming to include Nordic, Greek, Roman, Chinese, and pan-African games.
—The Editors, JSTOR Daily, 28 May 2025
Tangent Now worth more than Berkshire Hathaway, Walmart, JPMorgan Chase and Coca-Cola, combined, Nvidia has quite the humble origins, tracing its founding to a 1993 meeting between Huang and his two cofounders at a Denny’s diner.
—Derek Saul, Forbes.com, 28 May 2025
Noun
Most standard treatment plants aren’t effective at removing trace levels of UV filters from wastewater, said Dunia Santiago, a chemical engineer at the University of Las Palmas de Gran Canaria in Spain who studies how treatment plants process contaminants.
—Elizabeth Anne Brown, New York Times, 19 May 2025
For example, some lineages found in Siberian and Iberian fossils show genetic traces of North American horses.
—Paul Smaglik, Discover Magazine, 15 May 2025
See All Example Sentences for trace
Recent Examples of Synonyms for trace
Verb
-
More impressive millwork defines the passageways to the formal dining and living rooms.—
James Alexander,
Hartford Courant,
1 June 2025
-
This was bricolage in the mode of postmodernism, to use a term that Jencks had a leading role in propagating, defining it in multiple competing and overlapping (some would say maddening) ways.—
Glenn Adamson,
Artforum,
1 June 2025
Verb
-
Also, new educational disparities will emerge but will not be systematically tracked, communicated, studied, and addressed.—
Shaun Harper,
Time,
4 June 2025
-
Over three years, researchers planted more than 8,000 trees and shrubs across four square miles in a double-blind study and tracked residents’ health.—
Bill Frist,
Forbes.com,
4 June 2025
Noun
-
Police spokesperson Joanna Small said no one was hurt during the encounter on the night of May 22, although a person was bitten recently while using a local trail.—
Max Levy,
Denver Post,
31 May 2025
-
Canadian Rangers make a trail across the tundra for U.S. Special Forces following behind.—
Gavin John,
New York Times,
31 May 2025
Noun
-
There are also four Nation Forest System roads that are impacted by the fire that need to be assessed for hazards.—
CA WILDFIRE BOT,
Sacbee.com,
30 May 2025
-
Panahi was last in the Cannes Competition with 3 Faces in 2019, a political road movie starring Iranian star Behnaz Jafari.—
Max Goldbart,
Deadline,
30 May 2025
Noun
-
Investigators believed the person who killed Betsy Faria took the dog outside after she was stabbed, the probable cause said, and blood was cleaned up from the path between the victim and the patio door.—
Kate Linderman,
Kansas City Star,
4 June 2025
-
Divorce can feel like an octopus whose tentacles are hard at work sucking in whatever prey is in its path.—
Lisa Zeiderman,
Forbes.com,
4 June 2025
Noun
-
But the Mayor’s Management Report (MMR), launched in 1977, is a relic — thousands of stats that don’t answer the only question that matters: is government actually solving problems?—
Melanie La Rocca,
New York Daily News,
27 May 2025
-
This is why gold has glittered year to date, and why the yellow relic’s move higher is likely to continue.—
Brett Owens,
Forbes.com,
24 May 2025
Noun
-
Sincerely, People with functioning eyes and a shred of honesty.—
Marni Rose McFall,
MSNBC Newsweek,
3 June 2025
-
Please be advised that the dress code is either pastel-Easter-egg chic or ripped black shreds and absolutely nothing in between.—
Caroline Framke,
Vulture,
22 May 2025
Noun
-
There’s been speculation in the Russian and Western media about areas for possible negotiation, and the outcome of the Istanbul talks are being closely watched for any hints of flexibility.—
Matthew Chance,
CNN Money,
2 June 2025
-
Here is what the judges had to say about it: Aromas of delicate agave and hints of herbs provide an inviting nose.—
Hudson Lindenberger,
Forbes.com,
2 June 2025
Cite this Entry
“Trace.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/trace. Accessed 10 Jun. 2025.
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