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 director uses her loose crime movie template to chronicle a place still trapped in its troubled past — a past that gets dug up like all the ancient artifacts excavated by Veska and her crew — while facing a future of inertia and decline.
—
Jordan Mintzer, HollywoodReporter, 23 May 2026
While the purpose of the original building is uncertain, animal bones and pottery excavated at the Durrington Walls suggest it was used for large celebrations or feasts.
—Anne Doran, ARTnews.com, 22 May 2026
Don't let the wood-excavating pests make a mess of your home.
—Nafeesah Allen, Better Homes & Gardens, 19 May 2026
Koungoulos and Doyle excavated the bones only after Quayle had performed a smoking ceremony over the grave, which involves passing smoke over the grave and the bones as a form of spiritual cleansing.
—ArsTechnica, 18 May 2026
See All Example Sentences for excavate
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Jordan Mintzer, HollywoodReporter, 23 May 2026
While the purpose of the original building is uncertain, animal bones and pottery excavated at the Durrington Walls suggest it was used for large celebrations or feasts.
—Anne Doran, ARTnews.com, 22 May 2026
Don't let the wood-excavating pests make a mess of your home.
—Nafeesah Allen, Better Homes & Gardens, 19 May 2026
Koungoulos and Doyle excavated the bones only after Quayle had performed a smoking ceremony over the grave, which involves passing smoke over the grave and the bones as a form of spiritual cleansing.
—ArsTechnica, 18 May 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 28 May. 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
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