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 Despite the loss, Trump claimed victory in Arizona and later alleged the entire voter database of Maricopa County, the state’s most populous county, was deleted. Antonio Pequeño Iv, Forbes, 30 Oct. 2024 An investigation later found that the system had malfunctioned because a contractor, while working to synchronize two databases, had accidentally deleted files. Joshua Rothman, The New Yorker, 29 Oct. 2024 Some conservative pundits and Trump supporters online criticized Gus Walz's show of affection, though several deleted their posts after learning about his disability. Hannah Hudnall, USA TODAY, 29 Oct. 2024 Beyoncé sent a cease-and-desist to the Trump campaign shortly after, and the video was subsequently deleted from Cheung’s profile. Steven J. Horowitz, Variety, 26 Oct. 2024 See all Example Sentences for delete 

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 5 Nov. 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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