To efface something means to erase it, rub it out, or make it disappear completely. When rain effaces chalk drawings on a sidewalk, it washes them away until nothing remains. When time effaces old inscriptions on a gravestone, the letters gradually fade and blur until they become unreadable.

The word often suggests a gentle or gradual removal rather than violent destruction. Wind and weather slowly efface the details on ancient statues. Years of handling efface the designs on old coins. You might try to efface an embarrassing memory from your mind, though thoughts can be harder to erase than pencil marks.

Efface can also describe making yourself inconspicuous or humble, like a shy person who tries to efface themselves in a crowd by staying quiet and out of sight. Someone who is self-effacing tends to downplay their own accomplishments and avoid drawing attention to themselves.