expunge

[ ik-spuhnj ]

verb (used with object)

, ex·punged, ex·pung·ing.

1. to strike or blot out; erase; obliterate.
2. to efface; wipe out or destroy.

expunge

/ ɪkˈspʌŋkʃən; ɪkˈspʌndʒ /

verb

1. to delete or erase; blot out; obliterate
2. to wipe out or destroy

Derived Forms

• expunction, noun
• exˈpunger, noun

Other Words From

• ex·punger noun
• unex·punged adjective

Word History and Origins

Origin of expunge¹

1595–1605; < Latin expungere to blot out, erase, equivalent to ex- ex- ¹ + pungere to prick

Word History and Origins

Origin of expunge¹

C17: from Latin expungere to blot out, from pungere to prick

Example Sentences

Like many early colonial leaders and many of America’s founders, Penn was a slaveowner, a fact that has led liberal Quakers to expunge him “from our Friendly pantheon,” as Quaker activist Chuck Fager wrote in 2022.

From Salon

Emmaus has now decided to expunge Abbé Pierre from the organisation after 17 more women spoke out about having suffered abuse at his hands.

From BBC

“These incredible men are incarcerated firefighters saving our state, homes and communities from fire,” she wrote, adding that the firefighters can expunge their felony records and “go into firefighting” when they get out.

From Los Angeles Times

That was no accident; local leaders saw the new interstate system as a golden opportunity to expunge “blight,” which they claimed acted as a barrier to development.

From Slate

During the 2020 presidential campaign, then-candidate Joe Biden repeatedly pledged to decriminalize marijuana and automatically expunge marijuana records – identifying these issues as barriers to racial equity.

From Salon

Related Words

• abolish
• annul
• delete
• eradicate
• erase
• exterminate
• extinguish
• omit
• wipe out