| Main Entry: | |
| Part of Speech: | noun |
| Definition: | elimination, removal |
| Synonyms: | abolition, abstersion, catharsis, clarification, cleaning, cleanup, coup, crushing, disposal, disposition, ejection, eradication, evacuation, excretion, expulsion, expurgation, extermination, extirpation, liquidation, murder, purification, reign of terror, suppression, witch hunt |
| Antonyms: | holding, keeping, maintenance |
| Main Entry: | apologize |
| Part of Speech: | verb |
| Definition: | express remorse, regret |
| Synonyms: | admit guilt, ask forgiveness, ask pardon, atone, beg pardon, bow to, clear oneself, confess, cop a plea, cop out, crawl*, excuse oneself, get down on knees, give satisfaction, make amends, make reparations, make up for, make up with, offer compensation, offer excuse, purge, retract, say one is sorry, square*, withdraw |
| Antonyms: | defy |
| Main Entry: | baptism |
| Part of Speech: | noun |
| Definition: | church rite; initiation |
| Synonyms: | ablution, baptismal, christening, debut, dedication, dunking, immersion, introduction, launching, lustration, purgation, purge, purification, rite of passage, ritual, sanctification, sprinkling |
| Main Entry: | censor |
| Part of Speech: | verb |
| Definition: | forbid; ban; selectively remove |
| Synonyms: | abridge, black out, blacklist, bleach, bleep, blue-pencil, bowdlerize, clean up, conceal, control, cork, criticize, cut, decontaminate, delete, drop the iron curtain, edit, examine, excise, expurgate, exscind, inspect, launder, narrow, oversee, prevent publication, purge, purify, put the lid on, refuse transmission, repress, restrain, restrict, review, revile, sanitize, scissor out, squelch, sterilize, strike out, supervise communications, suppress, withhold |
| Notes: | to censor is to disallow portions or the entireties of books, plays, etc. on the grounds that they transgress propriety, 'to scrutinize, revise, or cut,' expurgate or suppress; to censure is to criticize vehemently or harshly, or condemn |
| Antonyms: | allow, approve, endorse, permit, sanction |
| Main Entry: | clean |
| Part of Speech: | verb |
| Definition: | make undirty, uncluttered |
| Synonyms: | absterge, bath, bathe, blot, brush, cauterize, clarify, cleanse, clear the decks, clear up, deodorize, depurate, deterge, disinfect, do up, dredge, dust, edulcorate, elutriate, erase, expunge, expurgate, flush, hackle, launder, lave, mop, neaten, pick, pick up, polish, purge, purify, rake, rasp, refine, rinse, rout out, sanitize, scald, scour, scrape, scrub, shake out, shampoo, soak, soap, sponge, spruce up, sterilize, straighten up, swab, sweep, tidy up, vacuum, wash, whisk, winnow, wipe |
| Antonyms: | adulterate, defile, dirty, foul, soil, stain |
| Main Entry: | cleanse |
| Part of Speech: | verb |
| Definition: | make undirty; wash |
| Synonyms: | absolve, clarify, clean, clear, depurgate, disinfect, expurgate, launder, lustrate, purge, purify, refine, restore, rinse, sanitize, scour, scrub, sterilize |
| Antonyms: | dirty, soil, spot |
| Main Entry: | emit |
| Part of Speech: | verb |
| Definition: | diffuse, discharge |
| Synonyms: | afford, beam, belch, breathe, cast out, disembogue, drip, eject, emanate, erupt, evacuate, excrete, exhale, expectorate, expel, expend, expire, extrude, exude, give off, give out, give vent to, gush, issue, jet, let off, loose, ooze, pass, perspire, pour, pronounce, purge, radiate, reek, secrete, send forth, send out, shed, shoot, speak, spew, spill, spit, squirt, throw out, transmit, utter, vent, voice, void, vomit, yield |
| Antonyms: | conceal, contain, refrain, repress, suppress, withhold |
| Main Entry: | empty |
| Part of Speech: | verb |
| Definition: | remove contents |
| Synonyms: | clear, consume, decant, deplete, discharge, disgorge, drain, drink, dump, ebb, eject, escape, evacuate, exhaust, expel, flow out, gut, leak, leave, make void, pour out, purge, release, run out, rush out, tap, unburden, unload, use up, vacate, void |
| Antonyms: | fill |
| Main Entry: | eradicate |
| Part of Speech: | verb |
| Definition: | destroy; remove |
| Synonyms: | abate, abolish, annihilate, blot out, demolish, deracinate, do away with, efface, eliminate, erase, expunge, exterminate, extinguish, extirpate, liquidate, mow down, obliterate, off*, purge, raze, root out, rub out, scratch*, scrub, shoot down, squash, stamp out, take out*, torpedo, total, trash, unroot, uproot, wash out, waste, weed out, wipe out |
| Antonyms: | aid, assist, bear, create, establish, fix, help, institute, plant |