diff --git a/compiler/rustc_hir_analysis/src/collect.rs b/compiler/rustc_hir_analysis/src/collect.rs
index 1eeaaf55e63..0c4649cea14 100644
--- a/compiler/rustc_hir_analysis/src/collect.rs
+++ b/compiler/rustc_hir_analysis/src/collect.rs
@@ -489,7 +489,7 @@ impl<'tcx> AstConv<'tcx> for ItemCtxt<'tcx> {
                         format!(
                             "{}::",
                             // Erase named lt, we want `<A as B<'_>::C`, not `<A as B<'a>::C`.
-                            self.tcx.anonymize_late_bound_regions(poly_trait_ref).skip_binder(),
+                            self.tcx.anonymize_bound_vars(poly_trait_ref).skip_binder(),
                         ),
                         Applicability::MaybeIncorrect,
                     );
diff --git a/compiler/rustc_hir_typeck/src/closure.rs b/compiler/rustc_hir_typeck/src/closure.rs
index 72d8a936ab3..5bd02dff73b 100644
--- a/compiler/rustc_hir_typeck/src/closure.rs
+++ b/compiler/rustc_hir_typeck/src/closure.rs
@@ -426,7 +426,7 @@ impl<'a, 'tcx> FnCtxt<'a, 'tcx> {
         // `deduce_expectations_from_expected_type` introduces
         // late-bound lifetimes defined elsewhere, which we now
         // anonymize away, so as not to confuse the user.
-        let bound_sig = self.tcx.anonymize_late_bound_regions(bound_sig);
+        let bound_sig = self.tcx.anonymize_bound_vars(bound_sig);
 
         let closure_sigs = self.closure_sigs(expr_def_id, body, bound_sig);
 
diff --git a/compiler/rustc_middle/src/ty/fold.rs b/compiler/rustc_middle/src/ty/fold.rs
index d431d008ddf..09fee0c3f7c 100644
--- a/compiler/rustc_middle/src/ty/fold.rs
+++ b/compiler/rustc_middle/src/ty/fold.rs
@@ -583,36 +583,6 @@ impl<'tcx> TyCtxt<'tcx> {
         self.replace_late_bound_regions(value, |_| self.lifetimes.re_erased).0
     }
 
-    /// Rewrite any late-bound regions so that they are anonymous. Region numbers are
-    /// assigned starting at 0 and increasing monotonically in the order traversed
-    /// by the fold operation.
-    ///
-    /// The chief purpose of this function is to canonicalize regions so that two
-    /// `FnSig`s or `TraitRef`s which are equivalent up to region naming will become
-    /// structurally identical. For example, `for<'a, 'b> fn(&'a isize, &'b isize)` and
-    /// `for<'a, 'b> fn(&'b isize, &'a isize)` will become identical after anonymization.
-    pub fn anonymize_late_bound_regions<T>(self, sig: Binder<'tcx, T>) -> Binder<'tcx, T>
-    where
-        T: TypeFoldable<'tcx>,
-    {
-        let mut counter = 0;
-        let inner = self
-            .replace_late_bound_regions(sig, |_| {
-                let br = ty::BoundRegion {
-                    var: ty::BoundVar::from_u32(counter),
-                    kind: ty::BrAnon(counter, None),
-                };
-                let r = self.mk_region(ty::ReLateBound(ty::INNERMOST, br));
-                counter += 1;
-                r
-            })
-            .0;
-        let bound_vars = self.mk_bound_variable_kinds(
-            (0..counter).map(|i| ty::BoundVariableKind::Region(ty::BrAnon(i, None))),
-        );
-        Binder::bind_with_vars(inner, bound_vars)
-    }
-
     /// Anonymize all bound variables in `value`, this is mostly used to improve caching.
     pub fn anonymize_bound_vars<T>(self, value: Binder<'tcx, T>) -> Binder<'tcx, T>
     where
diff --git a/compiler/rustc_trait_selection/src/traits/error_reporting/suggestions.rs b/compiler/rustc_trait_selection/src/traits/error_reporting/suggestions.rs
index 057b0a368bf..d47a5ea3e37 100644
--- a/compiler/rustc_trait_selection/src/traits/error_reporting/suggestions.rs
+++ b/compiler/rustc_trait_selection/src/traits/error_reporting/suggestions.rs
@@ -1812,10 +1812,10 @@ impl<'tcx> TypeErrCtxtExt<'tcx> for TypeErrCtxt<'_, 'tcx> {
             && self.tcx.is_fn_trait(trait_pred.def_id())
         {
             let expected_self =
-                self.tcx.anonymize_late_bound_regions(pred.kind().rebind(trait_pred.self_ty()));
+                self.tcx.anonymize_bound_vars(pred.kind().rebind(trait_pred.self_ty()));
             let expected_substs = self
                 .tcx
-                .anonymize_late_bound_regions(pred.kind().rebind(trait_pred.trait_ref.substs));
+                .anonymize_bound_vars(pred.kind().rebind(trait_pred.trait_ref.substs));
 
             // Find another predicate whose self-type is equal to the expected self type,
             // but whose substs don't match.
@@ -1828,12 +1828,12 @@ impl<'tcx> TypeErrCtxtExt<'tcx> for TypeErrCtxt<'_, 'tcx> {
                             // Make sure that the self type matches
                             // (i.e. constraining this closure)
                             && expected_self
-                                == self.tcx.anonymize_late_bound_regions(
+                                == self.tcx.anonymize_bound_vars(
                                     pred.kind().rebind(trait_pred.self_ty()),
                                 )
                             // But the substs don't match (i.e. incompatible args)
                             && expected_substs
-                                != self.tcx.anonymize_late_bound_regions(
+                                != self.tcx.anonymize_bound_vars(
                                     pred.kind().rebind(trait_pred.trait_ref.substs),
                                 ) =>
                     {