excavator
noun
ex·ca·va·tor
ˈek-skə-ˌvā-tər 
: one that excavates
especially
: a power-operated shovel
Examples of excavator in a Sentence
The excavators found ancient tools at the site.
Recent Examples on the Web
Dust rose and workers milled around the large site where buildings once stood and a single excavator was starting to scoop up the concrete and metal in video sent to NBC News from the scene this morning.
—
Jasmine Green, NBC news, 5 Mar. 2026
Israel routinely destroys equipment meant for reconstruction; Human Rights Watch found that Israel had destroyed more than 360 heavy machines — bulldozers, excavators, and factories producing asphalt and cement — in four different attacks in south Lebanon.
—Justin Salhani, The Dial, 5 Mar. 2026
Workers using an excavator stationed on a barge filled more than 72 bins, each holding up to 20 cubic yards of waste, with debris from the water, much of which was doused in oil.
—Jake Goodrick, Sacbee.com, 4 Mar. 2026
This excavator is the first step in transforming the FLEX rover into a versatile, multi-purpose tool for lunar development.
—Mrigakshi Dixit, Interesting Engineering, 2 Mar. 2026
See All Example Sentences for excavator
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Jasmine Green, NBC news, 5 Mar. 2026
Israel routinely destroys equipment meant for reconstruction; Human Rights Watch found that Israel had destroyed more than 360 heavy machines — bulldozers, excavators, and factories producing asphalt and cement — in four different attacks in south Lebanon.
—Justin Salhani, The Dial, 5 Mar. 2026
Workers using an excavator stationed on a barge filled more than 72 bins, each holding up to 20 cubic yards of waste, with debris from the water, much of which was doused in oil.
—Jake Goodrick, Sacbee.com, 4 Mar. 2026
This excavator is the first step in transforming the FLEX rover into a versatile, multi-purpose tool for lunar development.
—Mrigakshi Dixit, Interesting Engineering, 2 Mar. 2026
See All Example Sentences for excavator
Cite this Entry
“Excavator.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/excavator. Accessed 13 Mar. 2026.
Copy CitationMedical Definition
excavator
noun
ex·ca·va·tor
ˈek-skə-ˌvāt-ər
: an instrument used to open bodily cavities (as in the teeth) or remove material from them
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