excavate

verb

ex·ca·vate ˈek-skə-ˌvāt

excavated; excavating

Synonyms of excavate next

transitive verb

: to form a cavity or hole in

: to form by hollowing out

: to dig out and remove

: to expose to view by or as if by digging away a covering

excavate the remains of a temple

intransitive verb

: 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 There’s a lot more to excavate than the couple want to believe. —

Inkoo Kang, The New Yorker, 11 Nov. 2023 In the 1960s, archaeologists excavated this leather pouch that contained Babatha's legal document. —

Jennifer Ouellette, Ars Technica, 8 Nov. 2023 For the next 1,700 years, the scrolls were buried in mud, until 1752 when they were finally excavated. —

Charna Flam, Peoplemag, 15 Oct. 2023 The well has been excavated but will remain in a raw state; the final design around its cap is to be determined. —

Carolina A. Miranda, Los Angeles Times, 11 Oct. 2023 Most of the items from this study were excavated between 1998 and 2018. —

Laura Baisas, Popular Science, 21 Sep. 2023 The expedition starts off in Athens and moves to Nafplio, including a stop at Corinth Canal—where a Roman forum, temples, and fountains have been excavated—along the way. —

Jillian Dara, Robb Report, 31 Oct. 2023 This Irish horror tale, featuring You actress Burrows as an archaeologist who excavates a cursed tomb, unleashing a vengeful pagan war goddess who threatens to possess her teenage daughter. —

Scott Roxborough, The Hollywood Reporter, 30 Oct. 2023 For human remains, the law mandated a detailed accounting, including where they had been excavated and which present-day Indigenous communities might rightfully claim them. —

Nicole Santa Cruz, ProPublica, 20 Oct. 2023 See More

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'excavate.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Word History

Etymology

borrowed from Latin excavātus, past participle of excavāre "to hollow out, form a hole in," from ex- ex- entry 1 + cavāre "to make hollow, hollow out," verbal derivative of cavus "hollow, concave" — more at hole entry 1

First Known Use

1599, in the meaning defined at transitive sense 1

Time Traveler

The first known use of excavate was in 1599

See more words from the same year