Tracing a renegade's family background, you'll find him the black sheep.
Source: tatoeba (325372)
Tracing
/ˈtɹeɪsɪŋ/
Synonyms for "tracing" (118 found)
Ranked by relevance and common usage.
Closest matches (24)
Strong matches (35)
Related words (59)
mimeographyminiaturemirroringmodelpastelpen-and-inkpencil drawingphotographpictureportraitpursuitrecordingreduplicationreflectionreproductionreprographyresemblancerough copyrough draftrough outline
Show 22 more words
rubbingsemblanceshadowsilhouettesilver-print drawingsimilitudesimulacrumsinopiasketchspit and imagespitting imagestudytenortracetranscripttranscriptiontransfertwinvery imagevery picturevignettexerography
Noun(15 words)
Adjective(2 words)
physical tracedphysical tracing
Choosing the right synonym
- Closest matches in this entry: trace, apograph, black and white, brouillon, carbon.
- Sentence evidence is available for tracing, so synonym choice can be checked against real usage rather than a flat word list.
- Ranking signals come from wordnet, opengloss, moby, derived_reverse, 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 "tracing".
- Prefer the clearest word over the most unusual word when writing for speed or comprehension.
When not to replace "tracing"
Keep "tracing" 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 "tracing" 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 "tracing", 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 "tracing" 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
16 entriesactivitydata collectiondiscoverydraftingdraftsmanshipdrawingdrawing methodfindguideinvestigationmarkingmethod descriptormodifierprocesstooluncovering
More specific
19 entriesdata loggingevidence tracinggrid tracinghistorical tracingink lineletter tracingletter tracing templatenumber tracingoutlineoutline tracingpath tracingpattern tracingpattern tracing sheetpencil lineshape tracingshape tracing pattern
Showing 16 of 19 words.
Collocations
14 entriesletter tracingmap tracingshape tracingtrace amounttrace datatrace evidencetrace fossiltrace routetracing activitytracing letterstracing linestracing papertracing shapestracing worksheet
Inflections
5 entriesDerivations
5 entriesSample sentences
8 total sentences available.
There is no branch of detective science which is so important and so much neglected as the art of tracing footsteps.
Source: tatoeba (6359799)
Scientists have developed apps that can be used for contact tracing.
Source: tatoeba (8989703)
Before COVID-19, much of the contact tracing U.S. health departments did was for sexually transmitted infections, which carry more of a stigma than the coronavirus infection.
Source: tatoeba (11098965)
Showing 4 of 8 available sentences.
Common questions
What are the closest synonyms for "tracing"?
Closest matches include trace, apograph, black and white, brouillon, carbon.
How should I check whether a synonym fits "tracing"?
Compare the replacement against real sentence context. This entry includes sample sentences so you can check tone, grammar, and meaning before swapping words.