erase

verb

i-ˈrās How to pronounce erase (audio)
 British  -ˈrāz
erased; erasing; erases

transitive verb

1
a
: to rub or scrape out (something, such as written, painted, or engraved letters)
erase an error
b
: to remove written or drawn marks from
erase a blackboard
c
: to remove (recorded matter) from a magnetic medium (such as magnetic tape)
also : to remove recorded matter from
erase a hard drive
d
: to delete from computer storage
erase a file
2
a
: to remove from existence or memory as if by erasing
b
: to nullify the effect or force of

intransitive verb

: to yield to erasure
erasability noun
erasable adjective

Examples of erase in a Sentence

The recording can be erased and the tape used again. Several important files were accidentally erased. You can erase the tape and use it again. She erased the wrong answer from her paper and filled in the correct one. I erased the chalk marks from the blackboard.
Recent Examples on the Web Related article Two years on from Taliban takeover, Afghan women are being ‘erased from everything’ Afghanistan is the only International Cricket Council (ICC) full member nation without a women’s team. Ben Morse, CNN, 20 Mar. 2024 Matteo Matteucci doubled and knocked in a run for Riordan, which fell to 3-6-2, 0-3. Branham 9, Live Oak 7 Branham scored six runs in the home half of the fourth to erase a 6-2 deficit and went on to defeat Live Oak in a Blossom Valley Athletic League Mt. Hamilton Division game. Darren Sabedra, The Mercury News, 20 Mar. 2024 As her memories get erased à la Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind, which served as the music video’s inspiration, Peters’ half of the mattress was forcibly ripped away. Hannah Dailey, Billboard, 18 Mar. 2024 And after 20 or 25 years, any remaining debt gets erased. Adriana Morga and Collin Binkley, Quartz, 18 Mar. 2024 A week into free agency, the cap basically has been erased. Nick Canepa, San Diego Union-Tribune, 16 Mar. 2024 His designer, Millicent Patrick, was erased from the story of the film for nearly 50 years but has since regained her place as the mother of this unforgettable monster. Katie Rife, EW.com, 12 Mar. 2024 As Russia seeks to erase Ukrainian identity, with art a prime target, Ms. Semenik’s work has been crucial to raising awareness of the country’s cultural heritage at a critical time, art-world figures say, helping refute the Kremlin’s claim that Ukrainian nationhood is a fiction. Constant Méheut, New York Times, 8 Mar. 2024 Tassi was protected by the pope and set free; Gentileschi, despite being a brilliant artist, was shamed and erased from public memory for centuries. Julia Khrebtan-Hörhager, The Conversation, 7 Mar. 2024

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'erase.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Word History

Etymology

Latin erasus, past participle of eradere, from e- + radere to scratch, scrape — more at rodent

First Known Use

1605, in the meaning defined at transitive sense 1a

Time Traveler
The first known use of erase was in 1605

Dictionary Entries Near erase

Cite this Entry

“Erase.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/erase. Accessed 29 Mar. 2024.

Kids Definition

erase

verb
erased; erasing
1
a
: to rub out (as something written)
b
: to remove written or drawn marks from
erase a chalkboard
c
: to remove recorded matter from
erase a videotape
d
: to delete from a computer storage device
erase a file
2
: to remove as if by erasing
erase an event from one's memory
erasability noun
erasable adjective

Legal Definition

erase

transitive verb
erased; erasing
: to seal and protect (criminal records) from disclosure

More from Merriam-Webster on erase

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