excavate
verb
ex·ca·vate
ˈek-skə-ˌvāt 
excavated; excavating
1
: to form a cavity or hole in
2
: to form by hollowing out
3
: to dig out and remove
4
: to expose to view by or as if by digging away a covering
excavate the remains of a temple
: to make excavations
Examples of excavate in a Sentence
They excavated an ancient city.
It is the first site to be excavated in this area.
They began excavating the backyard for their new pool.
The excess dirt was carefully excavated.
Recent Examples on the Web
The thrill of the rush is what got kids on the run as their parents tried to direct them to areas not yet excavated.
—
Gloria Casas, Chicago Tribune, 18 Apr. 2025
Underground is a contemporary interpretation of the Roman baths excavated in nearby Cimiez, with a warm tepidarium, a hot caldarium, and a frigidarium, or cold plunge.
—Travel + Leisure Editors, Travel + Leisure, 16 Apr. 2025
Archaeologists have now excavated the necropolis and studied the artifacts found within, ranging from pottery to rare weapons, according to the release.
—Irene Wright, Miami Herald, 15 Apr. 2025
Lach helped excavate artifacts from the Titanic's wreck site in the North Atlantic Ocean and has created a touring exhibit.
—Tasha Tsiaperas, Axios, 9 Apr. 2025
See All Example Sentences for excavate
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Gloria Casas, Chicago Tribune, 18 Apr. 2025
Underground is a contemporary interpretation of the Roman baths excavated in nearby Cimiez, with a warm tepidarium, a hot caldarium, and a frigidarium, or cold plunge.
—Travel + Leisure Editors, Travel + Leisure, 16 Apr. 2025
Archaeologists have now excavated the necropolis and studied the artifacts found within, ranging from pottery to rare weapons, according to the release.
—Irene Wright, Miami Herald, 15 Apr. 2025
Lach helped excavate artifacts from the Titanic's wreck site in the North Atlantic Ocean and has created a touring exhibit.
—Tasha Tsiaperas, Axios, 9 Apr. 2025
See All Example Sentences for excavate
Cite this Entry
“Excavate.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/excavate. Accessed 22 Apr. 2025.
Copy CitationKids Definition
excavate
verb
ex·ca·vate
ˈek-skə-ˌvāt
excavated; excavating
1
: to hollow out : form a hole in
excavate the side of a hill
2
: to make by hollowing out
excavate a tunnel
3
: to dig out and remove
excavate sand
4
: to uncover by digging away covering earth
excavate an ancient city
excavator
noun
-ˌvāt-ər
Medical Definition
excavate
verb
ex·ca·vate
ˈek-skə-ˌvāt
excavated; excavating
: to form a cavity or hole in
an excavated wisdom tooth
: to make excavations or become hollowed out
an area of infarction in soft tissue often tends to excavate
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