Destroy and Efface

Destroy

Destroy verb - To bring to a complete end the physical soundness, existence, or usefulness of.
Usage example: their poor scores on the final exam destroyed any chance they might have had to pass the course

Efface is a synonym for destroy in obliterate topic. In some cases you can use "Efface" instead a verb "Destroy", when it comes to topics like wipe out.

Nearby Words: destroyed, destroyer, destroying

Efface

Efface verb - To destroy all traces of.
Usage example: when the supply ship finally arrived, it discovered that virtually all evidence of the colony at Roanoke had been effaced

Destroy is a synonym for efface in obliterate topic. You can use "Destroy" instead a verb "Efface", if it concerns topics such as erase, wipe out.

Nearby Word: effacing
Cite this Source
Efface and Destroy. (2016). Retrieved 2026, August 16, from https://thesaurus.plus/related/destroy/efface
Destroy & Efface. N.p., 2016. Web. 16 Aug. 2026. <https://thesaurus.plus/related/destroy/efface>.
Efface or Destroy. 2016. Accessed August 16, 2026. https://thesaurus.plus/related/destroy/efface.
Google Ngram Viewer shows how "destroy" and "efface" have occurred on timeline