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 Ten more bodies were also discovered over the weekend in a mass grave being exhumed in Puerto Peñasco, also known as Rocky Point, on the Gulf of California near the Arizona border. — David Agren, azcentral, "Mexico invites U.S. to join investigation of ambush that killed mothers and children," 10 Nov. 2019 The permit was granted by the department of health and it was set that Dillinger would be exhumed on September 16 at Crown Hill Cemetery in Indianapolis. — Amanda Jackson, CNN, "Gangster John Dillinger's body was set to be exhumed from a cemetery. Here's why it might not happen," 10 Sep. 2019 The younger Cromwell was forced to resign in 1659, and Charles II returned the following year to re-take his crown. Oliver Cromwell’s body was exhumed from Westminster Abbey and put on trial for high treason in 1661. — Jason Daley, Smithsonian, "Artifacts from the Final Battle of the English Civil War Uncovered During Road Project," 5 Sep. 2019 But given the similarities, prosecutors requested that her body be exhumed and examined by the North Carolina medical examiner, who ruled that Ratliff's death was the result of a homicide. — Bethonie Butler, chicagotribune.com, "Netflix's 'The Staircase': The long, sensational murder trial behind the new series," 11 June 2018 What were lithic landscapes have been exhumed and no longer only underlie living ones. — Stephen Pyne, Quartz, "The Earth could be entering a planetary fire age," 10 Nov. 2019 What were lithic landscapes have been exhumed and no longer only underlie living ones. — Stephen Pyne, The Conversation, "California wildfires signal the arrival of a planetary fire age," 1 Nov. 2019 Family members of 1930s gangster John Dillinger have submitted a new application to exhume his body from an Indianapolis cemetery. — chicagotribune.com, "After History Channel pulls out, Dillinger family again applies to exhume gangster’s grave," 18 Sep. 2019 Massachusetts used federal disaster funds to exhume 66 of the burial sites, analyze the remains and move them to a final resting place—a model that preservationists hope to repeat elsewhere. — Adam Aton, Scientific American, "Even the Dead Cannot Escape Climate Change," 31 Oct. 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

9 Dec 2019

Cite this Entry

“Exhume.” The Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster Inc., https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/exhume?pronunciation&lang=en_us&dir=e&file=exhum02m. Accessed 9 December 2019.

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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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