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
Northwestern plans to start excavating the site later this year but still needs several state and city approvals before launching construction, most likely in 2027.
—
Brian J. Rogal, Chicago Tribune, 11 June 2026
Identifying an early giant scorpion Working with eight fossils excavated over the years from three sites, the study team used CT scans and other tools to take a closer look at the specimen in the Natural History Museum’s collection.
—Shraddha Chakradhar, CNN Money, 10 June 2026
The exhibition challenges audiences to excavate layers of meaning behind these visual documents to reveal the myriad stories muted by a dominant colonial narrative.
—The Editors Of Artnews, ARTnews.com, 10 June 2026
After months of scandal and speculation, and several weeks of extended reunion unpacking, the sordid mess of Summer House season ten has been excavated.
—Kathryn Vanarendonk, Vulture, 10 June 2026
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.
Brian J. Rogal, Chicago Tribune, 11 June 2026
Identifying an early giant scorpion Working with eight fossils excavated over the years from three sites, the study team used CT scans and other tools to take a closer look at the specimen in the Natural History Museum’s collection.
—Shraddha Chakradhar, CNN Money, 10 June 2026
The exhibition challenges audiences to excavate layers of meaning behind these visual documents to reveal the myriad stories muted by a dominant colonial narrative.
—The Editors Of Artnews, ARTnews.com, 10 June 2026
After months of scandal and speculation, and several weeks of extended reunion unpacking, the sordid mess of Summer House season ten has been excavated.
—Kathryn Vanarendonk, Vulture, 10 June 2026
See All Example Sentences for excavate
Cite this Entry
“Excavate.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/excavate. Accessed 16 Jun. 2026.
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
