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
Idaho State Police, with assistance from local authorities, as well as search and rescue groups, excavated the backyard over several days — starting in a small spot near the fence line, and eventually removing and sifting dirt from the entire area.
—
Alex Brizee
march 5, Idaho Statesman, 6 Mar. 2026
Scientists think these volcanic rocks may have been excavated by impact events and later redistributed by wind and gravity, a process seen in many craters across Arabia Terra.
—Samantha Mathewson, Space.com, 6 Mar. 2026
During his 10 years with Chapman, Horner developed the school’s dinosaur lab and led research trips to a ranch in Montana to help excavate and study fossils.
—Victoria Le, Oc Register, 3 Mar. 2026
In this novel of remembrance and personal discovery, a Korean woman adopted and raised by French parents returns to Seoul with a documentarian in order to excavate her buried past.
—The New Yorker, New Yorker, 2 Mar. 2026
See All Example Sentences for excavate
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Alex Brizee
march 5, Idaho Statesman, 6 Mar. 2026
Scientists think these volcanic rocks may have been excavated by impact events and later redistributed by wind and gravity, a process seen in many craters across Arabia Terra.
—Samantha Mathewson, Space.com, 6 Mar. 2026
During his 10 years with Chapman, Horner developed the school’s dinosaur lab and led research trips to a ranch in Montana to help excavate and study fossils.
—Victoria Le, Oc Register, 3 Mar. 2026
In this novel of remembrance and personal discovery, a Korean woman adopted and raised by French parents returns to Seoul with a documentarian in order to excavate her buried past.
—The New Yorker, New Yorker, 2 Mar. 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 7 Mar. 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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