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
But figuring out what’s excavating without your permission isn’t straightforward.
—
Arricca Elin Sansone, Southern Living, 8 May 2025
Archaeologists did not excavate the largest part of the hole but suspect more treasures may be hidden within.
—Aspen Pflughoeft, Miami Herald, 8 May 2025
In 1988, The Steamboat Arabia was excavated by a team led by Bob Hawley and his sons, David and Greg Hawley, along with friend Jerry Mackey and restaurateur David Luttrell.
—Tammy Ljungblad, Kansas City Star, 22 Apr. 2025
Earlier in April, an archaeologist excavating the Church of the Holy Sepulchre found proof of an ancient garden at the site, consistent with biblical scripture.
—Andrea Margolis, FOXNews.com, 19 Apr. 2025
See All Example Sentences for excavate
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to
show current usage.
Read More
Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors.
Send us feedback.
Arricca Elin Sansone, Southern Living, 8 May 2025
Archaeologists did not excavate the largest part of the hole but suspect more treasures may be hidden within.
—Aspen Pflughoeft, Miami Herald, 8 May 2025
In 1988, The Steamboat Arabia was excavated by a team led by Bob Hawley and his sons, David and Greg Hawley, along with friend Jerry Mackey and restaurateur David Luttrell.
—Tammy Ljungblad, Kansas City Star, 22 Apr. 2025
Earlier in April, an archaeologist excavating the Church of the Holy Sepulchre found proof of an ancient garden at the site, consistent with biblical scripture.
—Andrea Margolis, FOXNews.com, 19 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 28 May. 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
Love words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
Share