Meaning & use

trace

noun·Academic

A very small sign, mark, or remaining amount that shows something existed or happened.

See it in a sentence

Investigators found no trace of the missing hikers near the trailhead.

There was just a trace of sadness in her voice as she said goodbye.

A note on using this word

As a verb, to trace something means to find its origin or path by following evidence back through time.

Words with a similar meaning

hintvestige

Choose a synonym to suit the sentence. Meanings can overlap without being identical.

Another way to use it

2. verb

To find or discover the origin, cause, or path of something by careful investigation.

Engineers traced the power outage to a single damaged transformer nearby.

Make it your own

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