etched

past tense of etch
1
as in engraved
to cut (as letters or designs) on a hard surface the artist etched his landscape on a copper plate

Synonyms & Similar Words

Relevance
2
as in imprinted
to produce a vivid impression of in just a few pages the writer etched an unforgettable portrait of one of the more remarkable First Ladies

Synonyms & Similar Words

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

Example Sentences

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 etched Participants make vision boards out of magazine clippings and shoe boxes, write letters to their future selves etched in marker. Tess Kenny, Chicago Tribune, 15 Aug. 2026 All the tender moments leading up to her beautiful day are forever etched in my heart. Escher Walcott, PEOPLE, 15 Aug. 2026 Almost like gravestones etched with the years of a life, they were marked with the diameter of the trees that had once stood there. Andrew Graham, Sacbee.com, 12 Aug. 2026 Artists and photographers regularly capture it, and Heicher says there are even gravestones in local cemeteries with images of the bridge etched into them. Spencer Wilson, CBS News, 10 Aug. 2026 Its chips never load the weights at all, because the weights are etched permanently into the transistors. Jon Markman, Forbes.com, 9 Aug. 2026 Maurice Jones-Drew will forever be etched into the memories of the Bruin faithful. Connor Dullinger, Los Angeles Times, 3 Aug. 2026 The Nazca Lines, ​enormous drawings and ⁠geometric figures etched into desert plains in the south of the country, are one of Peru’s main tourist destinations, attracting approximately ​100,000 annual visitors. Joe Kottke, NBC news, 2 Aug. 2026 Marble, travertine, and limestone are sensitive to acids and can be etched by anything containing vinegar or lemon juice. Brandee Gruener, Southern Living, 2 Aug. 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for etched
Verb
  • After the hearing, Khalil and his lawyers posed for photos in front of the National Constitution Center, where all forty-five words of the First Amendment were engraved on a fifty-ton slab of marble, then walked to a ramen bar for lunch.
    Andrew Marantz, New Yorker, 17 Aug. 2026
  • His name will join the 600 already engraved on the memorial wall.
    Carolyn Gusoff, CBS News, 30 July 2026
Verb
  • Such Chinese characters were inscribed or stamped on most of the hundreds of thousands of works made during the Chinese monarch’s rule in the 18th century.
    Stephy Chung, CNN Money, 21 Aug. 2026
  • Caitlin Clark has come closest to date, with two card sales over $500,000 last year, including a high of $660,000 for her 2024 Panini Flawless WNBA Logowoman autographed and inscribed one-of-one card.
    Larry Holder, New York Times, 20 Aug. 2026
Verb
  • Speedy receiver Mason Tipton carved out a path for himself after signing with the New Orleans Saints as an undrafted free agent in 2024 and enters his third NFL season recovering from offseason tibia surgery.
    Joe Arruda, Hartford Courant, 23 Aug. 2026
  • Water movement has carved patterns into the tidal flats, creating a transition from warm golden tones to cool teal waters.
    Cecilia Rodriguez, Forbes.com, 23 Aug. 2026

Browse Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Etched.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/etched. Accessed 24 Aug. 2026.

More from Merriam-Webster on etched

Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!