expunge

verb

ex·punge ik-ˈspənj

expunged; expunging

transitive verb

: to strike out, obliterate, or mark for deletion

: to efface completely : destroy

: to eliminate from one's consciousness

expunge a memory

expunger noun

Did you know?

In medieval and Renaissance manuscripts, a series of dots was used to mark mistakes or to label material that should be deleted from a text, and those deletion dots can help you remember the history of expunge. They were known as puncta delentia. The puncta part of the name derives from the Latin verb pungere, which can be translated as "to prick or sting" (and you can imagine that a scribe may have felt stung when their mistakes were so punctuated in a manuscript). Pungere is also an ancestor of expunge, as well as a parent of other dotted, pointed, or stinging terms such as punctuate, compunction, poignant, puncture, and pungent.

Example Sentences

time and the weather have expunged any evidence that a thriving community once existed here

Recent Examples on the Web Woodfin called for Congress to pass legislation to expunge criminal records for marijuana possession and expand the ability to research cannabis.

al, 15 Nov. 2022 Voters in Maryland and Missouri elected to legalize recreational use of marijuana, opening pathways to expunge convictions for people punished for conduct now legal under the new law.

Prem Thakker, The New Republic, 9 Nov. 2022 To date, our office has proactively processed more than 16,000 petitions to expunge, and responded to more than 1,600 defendant requests filed with the court for expungement.

Jimmy Jenkins, The Arizona Republic, 5 Oct. 2022 Appeals were first rejected by a trial court, and then by an appeals court, which agreed to expunge a few paragraphs that suggested criminal activity that was out of the grand jury’s recommendation.

Scott Travis, Sun Sentinel, 10 Sep. 2022 The bill originally sought to automatically expunge all eligible evictions that had been paid off, but the initial estimates showed that would add at least $2 million in costs for the state to the price tag of the bill.

Eric Peterson, The Salt Lake Tribune, 27 Oct. 2022 Writing the book was a way to expunge that shame in some regard.

Jessica Mathews, Fortune, 18 Oct. 2022 Tenants with past eviction filings against them that were dismissed can also seek legal help to expunge the filing from their record, thanks to a new law that took effect on July 1.

The Indianapolis Star, 10 Aug. 2022 Neary fashioned a plea deal that would keep MacDuff out of jail and eventually expunge his record if MacDuff kept his nose clean.

Globe Columnist, BostonGlobe.com, 25 Oct. 2022 See More

These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'expunge.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.