have been deleted

USAGE SUMMARY

"have been deleted" is correct and can be used in written English.
It is the past participle form of the verb "to delete" and is used to indicate that something has been removed or erased. Example: The old emails have been deleted from the server, so we cannot retrieve them anymore.

✓ Grammatically correct

News & Media

Science

Formal & Business

Wiki

Human-verified examples from authoritative sources

Exact Expressions

60 human-written examples

The tweets have been deleted.

The Guardian

Other proposals have been deleted.

The Washington Post

All of them should have been deleted.

The New Yorker

Both points have been deleted as incorrect.

The Guardian

Those tweets appear to have been deleted.

The Washington Post

The post appears to have been deleted.

The Washington Post

The last three words of that sentence have been deleted.

The New York Times

His Twitter account later appeared to have been deleted altogether.

The Washington Post

That comment also appears to have been deleted.

The Washington Post

The posts by Mr. Ren have been deleted.

The New York Times

The word "conditions" could simply have been deleted.

Independent

Expert writing Tips

Best practice

Use "have been deleted" when you want to emphasize that something has been completely removed or erased, often with the implication that it is no longer accessible or recoverable.

Common error

Avoid using "have been delete" as it is grammatically incorrect. The correct form is "have been deleted", using the past participle of the verb.

Linguistic Context

The phrase "have been deleted" functions as the passive voice of the verb 'to delete' in the present perfect tense. It indicates that a subject has undergone the action of being removed or erased at some point in the past with relevance to the present. Ludwig confirms its grammatical correctness and common usage.

Expression frequency: Very common

Frequent in

News & Media

56%

Science

27%

Wiki

8%

Less common in

Formal & Business

5%

Encyclopedias

0%

Reference

0%

Ludwig's WRAP-UP

In summary, "have been deleted" is a grammatically sound and frequently used phrase indicating that something has been removed. Ludwig AI confirms this. Its applications are broad, spanning from news reports and scientific papers to technical documentation, rendering it a versatile phrase for both formal and informal contexts. Common alternatives include "were removed" and "were erased". Be sure to use the correct tense and subject-verb agreement when using this phrase. This phrase is very common, especially in News & Media and Science contexts.

More alternative expressions

Phrases that express similar concepts, ordered by semantic similarity:

were removed

Focuses on the action of removing something, often physically or directly.

were erased

Implies a complete removal, often suggesting that no trace remains.

were eliminated

Suggests a more systematic or thorough removal, often in a competitive context.

were taken down

Specifically used for content removed from a platform or website.

were discarded

Implies something is no longer useful or needed.

were purged

Indicates a large-scale, often systematic, removal.

were canceled

Suggests an event or plan that was terminated.

were revoked

Used when something like a privilege or permission is taken away.

were rescinded

Similar to 'revoked', but often applies to laws or policies.

were withdrawn

Implies something was taken back or retracted.

FAQs

How can I use "have been deleted" in a sentence?

Use "have been deleted" to indicate that something was removed: "The files "have been deleted" from the server."

What are some alternatives to "have been deleted"?

You can use alternatives such as "were removed", "were erased", or "were eliminated" depending on the context.

Is it correct to say "has been deleted" instead of "have been deleted"?

"Has been deleted" is used with singular subjects, while "have been deleted" is used with plural subjects. For example, "The message has been deleted" but "The messages "have been deleted"".

What's the difference between "have been deleted" and "were deleted"?

"Have been deleted" implies a more recent action or a present consequence, while "were deleted" simply states a past action. "The changes "have been deleted", so the system is back to normal" versus "The records were deleted last year".