exhume

verb

ex·​hume ig-ˈzüm 

igz-ˈyüm, 

iks-ˈ(h)yüm 

exhumed; exhuming

transitive verb

1

: disinter

exhume a body

2

: to bring back from neglect or obscurity

exhumed a great deal of information from the archives

exhumation

ˌeks-(h)yü-ˈmā-shən 

ˌeg-zü-, 

ˌegz-yü- 

noun

exhumer

ig-ˈzü-mər 

igz-ˈyü-, 

iks-ˈ(h)yü-

noun

Synonyms of exhume

• unearth

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

Last year, Works petitioned a county court in Tennessee to exhume the body of Randolph’s son from a Nashville cemetery, with the goal of extracting DNA that Works believes might clear Thomas Jefferson’s name. — Andrew Lawler, The Atlantic, 18 Sep. 2026

Rescuers already racing to exhume bodies from earlier bombardments face dwindling fuel and equipment. — Jehad Alshrafi, Los Angeles Times, 16 Sep. 2026

Investigators then exhumed the gravesite and compared the DNA to that on the skull and bones found in Sellers Park in 2011. — Joe Brandt, CBS News, 6 Sep. 2026

Bodies identified after a mass burial could be exhumed and handed over to the families, officials say. — Andrew Jones, NBC news, 3 Sep. 2026

Word History

Etymology

Middle English, from Medieval Latin exhumare, from Latin ex out of + humus earth — more at ex-, humble

First Known Use

15th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Rhymes for exhume

• assume
• backroom
• ballroom
• barroom
• bathroom
• bedroom
• boardroom
• bridegroom
• classroom
• cloakroom
• consume
• costume

Kids Definition

exhume

verb

ex·​hume igz-ˈ(y)üm 

iks-ˈ(h)yüm

exhumed; exhuming

: to remove from a place of burial

exhumation

ˌeks-(h)yü-ˈmā-shən 

ˌegz-(y)ü-

noun

Medical Definition

exhume

transitive verb

ex·​hume igz-ˈ(y)üm  iks-ˈ(h)yüm 

exhumed; exhuming

: disinter

the body was exhumed for an autopsy

exhumation

ˌeks-(h)yü-ˈmā-shən  ˌegz-(y)ü- 

noun