delete

verb

de·​lete di-ˈlēt How to pronounce delete (audio)
dē-
deleted; deleting

transitive verb

: to eliminate especially by blotting out, cutting out, or erasing
delete a passage in a manuscript
delete a computer file
The email was accidentally deleted.
deletable adjective
an easily deletable photo

Examples of delete in a Sentence

Delete this name from the list. When the movie was shown on TV all the swearwords had been deleted.
Recent Examples on the Web In response to a FOIA request by Capital & Main on these questions, the FBI sent a CD containing over 1,100 pages of documents largely dated in the late 2000s, of which almost 1,000 pages were deleted, and many of those that remained were duplicated or blacked out. Eli Cahan, Rolling Stone, 7 Mar. 2024 The proposal would also roll back some regulations on natural gas pipelines and delete the majority of references to climate change found in state law. Emily L. Mahoney, Miami Herald, 5 Mar. 2024 Concerns about hacking sparked false claims from conservative pundits that voting machines deleted Trump votes and changed them to Biden. Joedy McCreary, USA TODAY, 4 Mar. 2024 No further details were provided about the timing of these breaches, and the message was reportedly deleted without explanation. Amrita Khalid, The Verge, 1 Mar. 2024 Meanwhile, its story, however deleted from the Star Wars canon, is genuinely interesting and involving. Matt Gardner, Forbes, 29 Feb. 2024 Investigators also found through phone's data there were attempts to delete evidence. Caitlin O'Kane, CBS News, 29 Feb. 2024 Instead of immediately calling for help, the teacher is accused of telling the class to delete videos of the sword fights. Julia Marnin, Sacramento Bee, 27 Feb. 2024 If a platform doesn’t delete an account that a parent requests be deleted, it could be fined up to $10,000 in damages. Molly Bohannon, Forbes, 23 Feb. 2024

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'delete.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Word History

Etymology

Latin deletus, past participle of delēre to wipe out, destroy

First Known Use

1540, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of delete was in 1540

Dictionary Entries Near delete

Cite this Entry

“Delete.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/delete. Accessed 19 Mar. 2024.

Kids Definition

delete

verb
de·​lete di-ˈlēt How to pronounce delete (audio)
deleted; deleting
: to eliminate especially by blotting out, cutting out, or erasing
delete a part of the story
delete a computer file
deletion
di-ˈlē-shən
noun

More from Merriam-Webster on delete

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
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