traces 1 of 2

present tense third-person singular of trace

traces

2 of 2

noun

plural of trace
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2
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6
as in hints
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

7
as in footsteps
the mark or impression made by a foot followed the traces of the deer into the deep woods

Synonyms & Similar Words

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 traces
Verb
The union drive really traces back to February 2025, when Google removed language from its public AI Principles committing not to build AI for weapons or surveillance that violates international norms. Beatrice Nolan, Fortune, 10 Aug. 2026 Bilal traces the project’s origins to sensory fragments rather than plot. Naman Ramachandran, Variety, 9 Aug. 2026 The game traces its roots to 1964 when engineer Charles Fairbanks modified a softball by inserting an electronic beeping device so blind children could play. Denise Crosby, Chicago Tribune, 6 Aug. 2026 Lung, who also traces her family directly to Denver’s Chinatown, and Clifton are working to enshrine the neighborhood’s culture. Tribune News Service, Baltimore Sun, 6 Aug. 2026 Compact clock design The Evergreen-05 traces its origins to DARPA’s earlier Robust Optical Clock Network program. Aamir Khollam, Interesting Engineering, 6 Aug. 2026 The episode traces Danton’s rise from one of Canada’s top young hockey prospects to an NHL enforcer known for his physical style of play. Lily Brown, PEOPLE, 5 Aug. 2026 Mata traces the model back to old machinery, not new speculation. Boaz Sobrado, Forbes.com, 1 Aug. 2026 The burnishing of Modi’s political brand traces back to another protest in Delhi, in the summer of 2011. Asim Ali, Time, 1 Aug. 2026
Noun
There are no brushes, for instance, though there are traces of brushwork. Zachary Fine, New Yorker, 10 Aug. 2026 The next, your image and all traces of your identity are gone. Rachel Wells, Forbes.com, 10 Aug. 2026 Since the expansion into the province of Quebec in 2023, for instance, gun traces went from 100 to 200 a year to now 4,500 per year, ATF statistics show. Mark Morales, CNN Money, 9 Aug. 2026 Looking for traces of a Toba catastrophe in standard sediment cores was like timing a sprint with a calendar. Jacek Krywko, ArsTechnica, 9 Aug. 2026 The couple recently moved on from their namesake company, but traces of it carry forth. Laura Regensdorf, Architectural Digest, 5 Aug. 2026 There are hints of Gilmore Girls in the show’s quaint setting and generational role reversal, traces of Dawson’s Creek in its adolescent earnestness. Judy Berman, Time, 4 Aug. 2026 Abdelkarim’s humility is as evident as his youth, which is reflected in a few traces of teenage acne on his cheeks and a shy smile typical of someone who isn’t used to being the focus of media attention. Laia Cervelló Herrero, New York Times, 2 Aug. 2026 LRMs, starting with OpenAI’s o1 model in 2024, are trained to automate this trick by generating such prompts — also called reasoning traces or thinking tokens — and then feeding them back to themselves. John Pavlus, Quanta Magazine, 31 July 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for traces
Verb
  • Those commitments should be included in a framework agreement, signed by all sides, which outlines the core elements of an eventual peace and enables a cessation of hostilities.
    Matt Waldman, Foreign Affairs, 13 Aug. 2026
  • Keller city council member comments After the second closed session, McMullin said the council’s resolution outlines all the concerns that Keller residents mentioned.
    Fousia Abdullahi, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 13 Aug. 2026
Verb
  • The Great Lakes’ piping plover population reached an all-time low of about 13 pairs in the 1980s after habitat loss due to beach development, according to Chicago Piping Plovers, which tracks the birds.
    Finnegan Belleau, Chicago Tribune, 9 Aug. 2026
  • This measure tracks swings in a broad collection of business output of goods and services, adjusted for inflation.
    Jonathan Lansner, Oc Register, 9 Aug. 2026
Noun
  • Around Woodland Margins In the wild, poison ivy typically grows best in the dappled light along the edges of forests or along hiking trails that get just a touch of sun.
    Lauren Landers, Better Homes & Gardens, 10 Aug. 2026
  • At that speed, even tiny particles produce bright streaks, often leaving glowing trails that persist for several seconds.
    Jamie Carter, Forbes.com, 10 Aug. 2026
Noun
  • My neighborhood Nextdoor app, which covers a wide swath in DeKalb County and surrounding areas, has been lighting up in recent weeks with reports of coyotes spotted in backyards, city streets and even schoolyards.
    Charles Seabrook, AJC.com, 16 Aug. 2026
  • Some Syrians celebrated in the streets after the death sentence handed down to al-Assad and his younger brother, Maher.
    Paula Hancocks, CNN Money, 16 Aug. 2026
Noun
  • However, dams severely disrupt aquatic ecosystems by blocking migratory paths to historic spawning grounds, fragmenting species populations, and trapping crucial nutrients.
    Mrigakshi Dixit, Interesting Engineering, 10 Aug. 2026
  • And Obregón’s done it while blazing new paths in construction, an industry where Hispanic women are rarely CEOs.
    Mirtha Donastorg, AJC.com, 10 Aug. 2026
Noun
  • Things like trumpets cracking, lights failing, and the BBC presenter’s original record of the broadcast breaking – all remind us of the fragility of relics, said Finn.
    Sheena McKenzie, CNN Money, 10 Aug. 2026
  • Louisiana officials agree they’re no longer needed and describe them as relics of a time when Black students were forbidden from attending some schools.
    ABC News, ABC News, 6 Aug. 2026
Noun
  • But take a closer look and the report actually provides glimmers of hope.
    TerDawn DeBoe, Forbes.com, 29 July 2026
  • There were glimmers of form from Yoane Wissa (DR Congo) and Anthony Elanga (Sweden), both of whom need to hit the ground running in the coming season.
    Anantaajith Raghuraman, New York Times, 24 July 2026
Noun
  • Astronomers observing Betelgeuse in 2024 found hints of a second star, and now a paper published in the journal Astronomy and Astrophysics strongly supports its existence.
    Phil Plait, Scientific American, 14 Aug. 2026
  • The team also found hints that oxygen was present in the brine, and even a bit of genetic evidence to suggest that underground microbes might be capable of using it.
    James Dinneen, New Yorker, 13 Aug. 2026

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Cite this Entry

“Traces.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/traces. Accessed 16 Aug. 2026.

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