vanish

verb

van·​ish ˈva-nish How to pronounce vanish (audio)
vanished; vanishing; vanishes
Synonyms of vanish

intransitive verb

1
a
: to pass quickly from sight : disappear
b
: to pass completely from existence
2
: to assume the value zero

transitive verb

: to cause to disappear
vanisher noun

Synonyms of vanish

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Examples of vanish in a Sentence

The missing girl vanished without a trace a year ago. The papers seem to have vanished into thin air. Dinosaurs vanished from the face of the earth millions of years ago.
Recent Examples on the Web
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
But as the natural resource economy changed and the logging industry shrank, mills closed and jobs vanished. — Saige Miller, NPR, 11 Oct. 2026 Another may vanish but leave behind an idea that outlives it. — John Vorwald, Robb Report, 11 Oct. 2026 Tortoises routinely seek shade under dense bushes, vanish into mangroves, or shelter from the scorching equatorial sun. — Mrigakshi Dixit, Interesting Engineering, 10 Oct. 2026 The mother of a Miami-Dade teacher who mysteriously vanished and was later found in a canal walked into a courtroom on Friday, seeking an end to the years-long court proceedings. — Grethel Aguila, Miami Herald, 9 Oct. 2026 See All Example Sentences for vanish

Word History

Etymology

Middle English vanisshen, borrowed from Anglo-French vaniss- stem of vanir, envanir, esvanir, going back to Vulgar Latin *exvānīre, restructuring of Latin ēvānēscere "to fade away, disappear," from ē- e- entry 1 + vānēscere "to pass from existence," inchoative verb derivative of vānus "empty, lacking content" — more at wane entry 1

First Known Use

14th century, in the meaning defined at intransitive sense 1a

Time Traveler
The first known use of vanish was in the 14th century

Phrases Containing vanish

Rhymes for vanish

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Browse Nearby Words

Vanir
vanish
vanishing cream
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Cite this Entry

“Vanish.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/vanish. Accessed 14 Oct. 2026.

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Kids Definition

vanish

verb
van·​ish ˈvan-ish How to pronounce vanish (audio)
: to pass from sight or existence
vanisher noun
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