He disappeared without a trace.
Source: tatoeba (2096)
Trace
/tɹeɪs/
Synonyms for "trace" (680 found)
Ranked by relevance and common usage.
Closest matches (136)
Noun(26 words)
Determiner(1 words)
a bit
accountafterglowafterimageannalsaromaascertainatombalancebeambeat signalbitblazeblaze a trailblemishblipsblock inblock outblotchbouncebounces
Show 82 more words
brandbreathbriefbuttbutt endcandle endscartooncastcatalogcatch a likenesscatchwordchaffchalkchalk outchalk upcharactercharacterizecharcoalchartcheckcheck offchroniclecicatrizeclonecluecolorcompanioncondensation trailcontrailcopycopy outcorrespondencecoursecrayoncrosshatchcrt spotcuecue worddabdappledashdash offdaubdead ringerdebrisdefinedefinite odordelimitdelineatedemarcatedepictdesigndetectdetectable odordeterminedetritusdiagramdiscolordiscoverdisplaydittodm displaydocumentationdogdoodledoppler signaldotdoubledouble-dot displaydraftdrawdraw updropdupeduplicateechoecho signalediteffigyeffluviumemanationend
Strong matches (204)
enfaceengraveengrossessenceevidenceexact likenessexhalationfacsimilefag endfellowfilingsfindfind outflavorfleckflickerfollowfollow a cluefollow upfootprint
Show 94 more words
footprintsfootstepfossilfragrancefrecklefumegashgetgleamgrainhairhatchhectographhinthistoryhithit offholdoverhot leadhunt downhunt uphuskhusksiconideaidolif signalim displayimageimpressimpressionimprintindicationinfusioninklinginscribeintimationinventinventoryinvestigateiotajotkeykey wordleadleavingsleftoverleftoversletterslicklikenesslimnlinelistliving imageliving picturelocal oscillator signallocatelookmake a markmake a recensionmake outmanifoldmapmarkmark offmark outmatchmatemementomemorialmicrocopymicrofilmmimeomimeographminiaturemirroringmodelmonitormottlemultigraphnicknosenose outnotatenotchodds and endsodoroffscouringsortsoutlineoutput signalpaintpaint a picture
Noun(77 words)
evidenceevidence from testsevidence of unlawfulnessevidence trailevidences a claimevidences improvementfamily history chartingfiligreefingerprintfingerprintsflecksflickerflickersflow of controlfollowfootprintfossil imprintedfossil remnantfossil-imprintinggeological feature
Show 57 more words
germgermsghostghostlinessghostsgleamsglimmerglimmeringglimmeringsglimmersglintglintsgraingrain of truthgraphhandprinthintshistory of writingidentifiableidentified specimenimprint sedimentimprintsindicatorinterconnectiotaiotasjotsleave printslickslineamentlingeringsmarkmarkingmementosmemory imprintminimalminisculesminute amountmistmitemitesmodicummodicumsmorselsmotemotesmyogramnegligiblenibbleobserved energy distributionounceoutline processoutline shapeoutline the stepsoutline tracingoutlinesoutlining
Adjective(4 words)
faint tintleast chemicallive pathmonitored entry
Determiner(4 words)
most cultural remnantsmost physical tracemost solid evidenceno remnants
Related words (340)
Adjective(7 words)
pale tintphysical tracedscant amountslight amounttiny fractionultrasmall quantitywell preserved imprint
Noun(107 words)
paper patternpedigreespinpointpinprickpinpricksplant fossil imprintplot turnplot turnspursueredrawingreekremnant of civilizationremnant patchremnantsrenderingreproducesavourscentsscintillasscrap
Show 87 more words
shadowsshardsshell imprintshimmersshoeprintshredshredssignsketchskidsleuthsleuthingsleuthsslightsliversliverssmall amountsmatteringssmidgesmidgensmidgeonsmidgessmidginsmidginssmudgesniffsoupçonsoupçonssource bundlesource comparison tasksource quality categoryspeck of dustspecksspectersspoonfulsspoorsstencil lettersstencilsstreakingstrong piece of evidencesuggestiontadtailteaspoonfulstemplatingtendrilsthimblefulthimblefulsthumbprinttincturetingestinttint of doubttintstinytire tracktissue paper patterntittlestouchtouchestrace routetrace sourcetraceabletracingtrackabletrackingtracking order numbertracking order number featuretrailstsatsketwingetwinklingsuncovervalue evidence supportsvapoursvestigevestigeswakesweather system originwhiffswhitwhitswispwispswraithwraithswriting
paringparingspathpenpencilpepperphotographphotostatpicturepicturizepippipe rollpipspistepittancepointportraitportrayprickprint
Show 196 more words
printsproofpunchpunctuatepuncturepursuepush the penput in writingquadruplicateradar signalragragsreadingrecenserecordrecordingrediscoverredolencereduplicatereflectionrefuseregisterregistryrelicrelicsremainderremainsremnantrenderreplicaterepresentreproduceresemblanceresidueresiduumrestreturnreturn signalreviserewriterf echoesriddleroachrollrollsrosterrotaroughrough inrough outrubrubbingrubbishruinruinsrumprun downrun to earthsaucesavorsawdustscarscarifyscentschematizescintillascorescotchscouringscouringsscrapscrapsscratchscribescrivescrollscumblesealseamsearch forseasoningseeksemblanceshadeshadowshavingshavingsshredsignsignalsignal displaysignssimilitudesimulacrumsipsketchsmacksmatteringsmellsmell outsniff outsoupconsparkspeckspecklespicespill inkspit and imagespitting imagesplotchspoil paperspoorspotsprinklingstainstalkstampstatstenchstencilstepstigmatizestrainstrawstraw in the windstraystreakstriatestrikestripestubblestumpsubtle odorsuggestionsupsuperscribesurvivalsuspicionsweepingssymbolizetabletailtainttake a rubbingtangtarget imagetastetattootelltaletemperingthoughtticktick offtincttincturetingetinttip offtip-offtokentouchtrace downtrace outtrace overtracestracingtracktrack downtrackstrailtranscribetransmitter signaltreadtrifletriplicatetwangtwintypeunderlineunderscoreunearthvapor trailveinvery imagevery picturevestigevideo signalwakewastewhiffwhisperwinkwritewrite downwrite outxerox
Choosing the right synonym
- Closest matches in this entry: hint, shadow, a bit, a little, account.
- Sentence evidence is available for trace, so synonym choice can be checked against real usage rather than a flat word list.
- Ranking signals come from wordnet, opengloss, derived_reverse, moby, and related lexical sources.
Synonym selection checklist
- Match the part of speech before comparing meanings.
- Check whether the synonym changes intensity, formality, or emotional tone.
- Read the replacement inside the full sentence, not just beside "trace".
- Prefer the clearest word over the most unusual word when writing for speed or comprehension.
When not to replace "trace"
Keep "trace" when the sentence already sounds natural, when a synonym would add unintended emphasis, or when readers need the most familiar wording. A synonym should clarify or sharpen the message, not simply make the sentence look more varied.
If two options seem close, choose the one that best matches the audience and purpose of the sentence.
Replacement workflow
1. Preserve meaning
Choose a synonym only if it keeps the core idea of "trace" intact in the sentence you are editing.
2. Tune tone
Check whether the replacement sounds more formal, casual, emotional, technical, or forceful than the original word.
3. Re-read context
Read the full sentence after the swap. Keep the synonym only when the sentence becomes clearer or more precise.
Review note: Synonym lists are ranked with lexical data and reviewed for practical writing value. Use the comparison notes, sentence evidence, and source labels together; a high-ranking synonym can still be wrong when the audience, register, or grammar changes.
Final fit check
After choosing a replacement for "trace", read the sentence once for meaning and once for rhythm. The best synonym should feel natural in the full sentence, not only accurate in a word list.
If the synonym makes the sentence slower, vaguer, or more dramatic than intended, keep "trace" or choose a simpler alternative from the closest-match group.
Related word relations
OpenGloss and ConceptNet supply richer edges like generalizations, collocations, and derivations.
More general
51 entriesShowing 16 of 51 words.
More specific
28 entriesShowing 16 of 28 words.
Collocations
13 entriesfaint traceleave a tracetrace amounttrace amountstrace backtrace elementtrace evidencetrace fossiltrace historytrace mineralstrace routetrace sourcetraceable data
Inflections
3 entriesDerivations
8 entriessimilar
8 entriesTranslations
36 translations across 16 languages.
Armenian
2 entries- հետք noun (very small amount)
- նշույլ noun (very small amount)
Bulgarian
3 entries- оста́тък noun (residue)
- следа́ noun (very small amount)
- смътна представа noun (very small amount)
Chinese Cantonese
1 entries- 少少 noun (very small amount)
Chinese Mandarin
3 entries- 少許 /少许 noun (very small amount)
- 少量 noun (very small amount)
- 微量 noun (very small amount)
Dutch
1 entries- sporen noun (residue)
Finnish
4 entries- hitunen noun (very small amount)
- hiven noun (very small amount)
- häivä noun (very small amount)
- jälki noun (residue)
French
1 entries- traces noun (very small amount)
German
2 entries- Spur noun (residue)
- Spur noun (very small amount)
Hungarian
4 entries- elenyésző/minimális mennyiség noun (very small amount)
- maradvány noun (residue)
- maradék noun (residue)
- nyom noun (residue)
Lithuanian
1 entries- pedsaka noun (very small amount)
Macedonian
1 entries- остаток noun (residue)
Malay
1 entries- bekas noun (residue)
Māori
2 entries- kanehe noun (very small amount)
- ngarengare noun (very small amount)
Old Javanese
1 entries- wĕkas noun (residue)
Russian
1 entries- оста́ток noun (residue)
Spanish
4 entries- cantidad ínfima noun (very small amount)
- cuantía mínima noun (very small amount)
- indicio noun (very small amount)
- traza noun (very small amount)
Sample sentences
28 total sentences available.
The media sells a trace of hatred at bargain prices.
Source: tatoeba (31791)
We must go back to the Middle Ages to trace the origin.
Source: tatoeba (48762)
A cargo vessel, bound for Athens, sank in the Mediterranean without a trace.
Source: tatoeba (71703)
Showing 4 of 28 available sentences.
Common questions
What are the closest synonyms for "trace"?
Closest matches include hint, shadow, a bit, a little, account.
How should I check whether a synonym fits "trace"?
Compare the replacement against real sentence context. This entry includes sample sentences so you can check tone, grammar, and meaning before swapping words.