exhume

ex·hume | \ ig-ˈzüm

How to pronounce exhume (audio)

, igz-ˈyüm, iks-ˈ(h)yüm \

exhumed; exhuming

Definition of exhume

transitive verb

1 : disinter exhume a body

2 : to bring back from neglect or obscurity exhumed a great deal of information from the archives

Other Words from exhume Synonyms & Antonyms More Example Sentences Learn More about exhume

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Examples of exhume in a Sentence

the remains of John Paul Jones were exhumed in Paris and transported with great ceremony to the U.S. Naval Academy

Recent Examples on the Web Her death was initially ruled due to natural causes but her body was later exhumed for further investigation. — Fox News, "Teen's cell phone found in Lori Vallow, Chad Daybell missing children case: report," 13 Feb. 2020 Her remains were exhumed Dec. 11, and an autopsy has since been conducted, with results pending. — Chelsea Curtis, USA TODAY, "2 Idaho kids still missing, mom said she was 'a god': What to know about her cult-like beliefs," 12 Feb. 2020 But when Daybell and Vallow got married just two weeks later, authorities had Tammy’s remains exhumed. — Mekita Rivas, refinery29.com, "The Complicated Case Of Lori Vallow, Her Missing Children, & A Doomsday Conspiracy," 6 Feb. 2020 That cemetery closed in 1873, and 15 years later in 1888, Beethoven was exhumed once again. — Jennifer Billock, Smithsonian Magazine, "Following Beethoven’s Footsteps Through Vienna," 28 Jan. 2020 In 2015, the other coffins containing remains from the USS Oklahoma were exhumed. — Tara Law, Time, "He Was Killed at Pearl Harbor. Here’s Why It Took 78 Years to Bring Him Home," 6 Dec. 2019 The victim’s body was exhumed in 2013 with the hope of using advancing technology to identify her. — chicagotribune.com, "Illinois nurse charged with ‘barbarically’ brutalizing and killing impaired woman, whose body was found near Wisconsin cornfield in 1999," 8 Nov. 2019 In 1852, Adie’s grave was exhumed at the direction of the antiquarian Joseph Neil Paton. — Brigit Katz, Smithsonian, "Wanted: The Missing Bones of a Scottish ‘Witch’," 3 Sep. 2019 Though there are many graves still to be exhumed and boxes of anonymous skeletons awaiting identification, the lab’s future seems uncertain. — Natalie Keyssar, National Geographic, "The cold cases of Guatemala’s civil war were impossible to identify—until now," 19 Dec. 2019

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

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Last Updated

18 Feb 2020

Cite this Entry

“Exhume.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/exhume. Accessed 26 Feb. 2020.

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More Definitions for exhume

exhume

verb

English Language Learners Definition of exhume

formal : to remove (a body) from the place where it is buried

See the full definition for exhume in the English Language Learners Dictionary

exhume

transitive verb

ex·hume | \ igz-ˈ(y)üm

, iks-ˈ(h)yüm

\

exhumed; exhuming

Medical Definition of exhume

: disinter the body was exhumed for an autopsy

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