excavate

verb

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ex·ca·vate | \ ˈek-skə-ˌvāt

excavated; excavating

Definition of excavate

transitive verb

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

intransitive verb

: to make excavations

Synonyms More Example Sentences Learn More About excavate

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 Ana discloses that her father is hostile to Janis’s efforts to excavate the grave. — Richard Brody, The New Yorker, 27 Dec. 2021 Their light, hollow bones -- potato chip-like in texture -- are very difficult to excavate without damaging them. — Katie Hunt, CNN, 11 Dec. 2021 After more than seven decades of stop-start attempts to excavate a nearly 2-mile ancient walkway in the southern city of Luxor, Egypt will finally open the 3,000-year-old Avenue of Sphinxes to the public Thursday in a glitzy ceremony. — Hatem Maher, ABC News, 23 Nov. 2021 Museums everywhere have worked to excavate more complex truths in their collections for years. — BostonGlobe.com, 15 Oct. 2021 The prints were discovered in La Rioja, Spain, around 35 years ago, but scientists didn't fully excavate all the tracks until more recently. — Rasha Aridi, Smithsonian Magazine, 14 Dec. 2021 More important, though, these tees excavate an intimate history. — Charlene K. Lau, The Atlantic, 16 Nov. 2021 The archaeologists and adventurers who came to excavate the past and claim its treasures were seeking scientific knowledge, professional glory and tangible proof of their connection to the ancient biblical text. — Washington Post, 10 Dec. 2021 But in 2010, instead of planting, the family watched four men with shovels excavate and haul away the soil. — New York Times, 3 Dec. 2021

These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'excavate.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.