EXPUNGE Synonyms: 88 Similar and Opposite Words

expunge

verb

ik-ˈspənj

Definition of expunge

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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Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.

Recent Examples of expunge Five students were charged after the incident, but all of them have entered diversionary programs to have the charges expunged. — Laura Fay, CBS News, 3 Aug. 2026 Rignol also wants his F reversed and his disciplinary records expunged. — Nate Anderson, ArsTechnica, 31 July 2026 If passed, the bill would decriminalize cannabis, remove it from scheduling under the Controlled Substances Act and expunge certain federal cannabis offenses. — Finch Walker, USA Today, 22 July 2026 There is no longer any public trace of Helton’s criminal case in the Ohio county court system; certain nonviolent cases are allowed to be sealed or expunged after a set amount of time has passed. — Jennifer Smith Richards, ProPublica, 16 July 2026 See All Example Sentences for expunge

Recent Examples of Synonyms for expunge

Verb

But Bama followed with a 38-3 quarterfinal flop to Indiana, erasing any momentum and placing DeBoer squarely under the microscope entering a pivotal third season.

— Edgar Thompson, The Orlando Sentinel, 28 Aug. 2026
The 68-year-old also lost her husband and her son, who worked at a local hydropower plant, in the flash floods that hit the region on Wednesday, erasing entire communities.

— Sophie Tanno, CNN Money, 28 Aug. 2026

Definition of erase

Verb

For decades, deer had populated Santa Rosa Island, but they were eradicated from the island at the end of 2011 to restore its native ecosystem and protect its natural vegetation.

— Noe Padilla, USA Today, 3 Sep. 2026
Within a year of its onset, the economic depression practically eradicated the need to mint any new coinage for months.

— Andrew Paul, Popular Science, 2 Sep. 2026

Definition of eradicate

Verb

This July, the EU enacted one of their demands, abolishing the customs duty exemption below €150 and introducing a temporary €3 duty per item.

— Angela Velasquez, Footwear News, 3 Sep. 2026
Others, like abolishing the Senate and Supreme Court, are more controversial and used by Republicans to hammer DSA candidates as out of step with the American mainstream.

— Sacbee.com, Sacbee.com, 2 Sep. 2026

Definition of abolish

Verb

In 2025, Ukraine smuggled over 100 drones into Russia inside cargo trucks to conduct strikes that damaged or destroyed roughly one-third of Russia’s active bomber fleet and caused approximately $7 billion in damages.

— Seth G. Jones, Foreign Affairs, 3 Sep. 2026
Some 36,000 houses and buildings were destroyed or damaged, and more than 2,000 people are still living in evacuation centers, including school gymnasiums and community centers.

— ABC News, ABC News, 3 Sep. 2026

Definition of destroy

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expulsions

expunge

expunged

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“Expunge.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/expunge. Accessed 5 Sep. 2026.

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