expunge

• POS: Verb (transitive)
• HYPHEN: ex=punge

CIDE DICTIONARY

expunge, v. t. [L. expungere, expunctum, prick out, expunge, settle an account, execute; ex out + pungere to prick, puncture. See Pungent.].

•  To blot out, as with pen; to rub out; to efface designedly; to obliterate; to strike out wholly; as, to expunge words, lines, or sentences.  [1913 Webster]
•  To strike out; to wipe out or destroy; to annihilate; as, to expunge an offense.  Sandys.  [1913 Webster]

  "Expunge the whole, or lop th' excrescent parts."

Syn. -- To efface; erase; obliterate; strike out; destroy; annihilate; cancel.

OXFORD DICTIONARY

expunge, v.tr. (foll. by from) erase, remove (esp. a passage from a book or a name from a list).

Derivative

expunction n. expunger n.

Etymology

L expungere expunct- (as EX-(1), pungere prick)

THESAURUS

expunge

KO, abbreviate, abridge, annihilate, annul, black out, blot, blot out, blue-pencil, bowdlerize, call off, cancel, censor, complete, cross out, cut, dele, delete, discard, dispose of, drop, drop the curtain, edit, edit out, efface, end off, eradicate, erase, exclude, expurgate, extinguish, finalize, finish, fold up, get it over, get over with, get through with, give the quietus, kayo, kibosh, kill, knock out, obliterate, omit, perfect, polish off, put paid to, raze, rescind, rub out, rule out, scrag, scratch, scratch out, shoot down, sponge, sponge out, strike, strike off, strike out, void, wipe out, zap

ROGET THESAURUS

expunge

Destruction

VB be destroyed, perish, fall to the ground, tumble, topple, go to pieces, fall to pieces, break up, crumble to dust, go to the dogs, go to the wall, go to smash, go to shivers, go to wreck, go to pot, go to wrack and ruin, go by the board, go all to smash, be all over, be all up, be all with, totter to its fall, destroy, do away with, make away with, nullify, annual, sacrifice, demolish, tear up, overturn, overthrow, overwhelm, upset, subvert, put an end to, seal the doom of, do in, do for, dish, undo, break up, cut up, break down, cut down, pull down, mow down, blow down, beat down, suppress, quash, put down, do a job on, cut short, take off, blot out, dispel, dissipate, dissolve, consume, smash, crash, quell, squash, squelch, crumple up, shatter, shiver, batter to pieces, tear to pieces, crush to pieces, cut to pieces, shake to pieces, pull to pieces, pick to pieces, laniate, nip, tear to rags, tear to tatters, crush to atoms, knock to atoms, ruin, strike out, throw over, knock down over, fell, sink, swamp, scuttle, wreck, shipwreck, engulf, ingulf, submerge, lay in ashes, lay in ruins, sweep away, erase, wipe out, expunge, raze, level with the dust, level with the ground, waste, atomize, vaporize, deal destruction, desolate, devastate, lay waste, ravage gut, disorganize, dismantle, devour, swallow up, sap, mine, blast, bomb, blow to smithereens, drop the big one, confound, exterminate, extinguish, quench, annihilate, snuff out, put out, stamp out, trample out, lay in the dust, trample in the dust, prostrate, tread under foot, crush under foot, trample under foot, lay the ax to the root of, make short work of, make clean sweep of, make mincemeat of, cut up root and branch, chop into pieces, cut into ribbons, fling to the winds, scatter to the winds, throw overboard, strike at the root of, sap the foundations of, spring a mine, blow up, ravage with fire and sword, cast to the dogs, eradicate.

Obliteration

VB efface, obliterate, erase, raze, rase, expunge, cancel, blot out, take out, rub out, scratch out, strike out, wipe out, wash out, sponge out, wipe off, rub off, wipe away, deface, render illegible, draw the pen through, apply the sponge, be effaced, leave no trace, leave not a rack behind.