as in to clean
to remove dirty or dangerous substances (such as radioactive material) from (a person, thing, place, etc.)
Special workers were called in to decontaminate the area after the oil spill.
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Recent Examples of decontaminate
Afterward, the animals were decontaminated and bathed, and those who experienced the most inhalation are being supervised at a veterinary clinic, Halverson said.
—
Melina Khan, USA Today, 15 Sep. 2025
There’s no cost at Tahoe’s inspection station to decontaminate a kayak or paddleboard, plus experts will educate you on how to do it, Patten said.
—Sacbee.com, 28 Aug. 2025
Irradiating food is a safety measure aimed to decontaminate it.
—Laura Baisas, Popular Science, 21 Aug. 2025
Has been contaminated due to methamphetamine and the owner has not appealed or decontaminated the property within 90 days.
—Jolene Almendarez, The Enquirer, 2 July 2025
See All Example Sentences for decontaminate
Melina Khan, USA Today, 15 Sep. 2025
There’s no cost at Tahoe’s inspection station to decontaminate a kayak or paddleboard, plus experts will educate you on how to do it, Patten said.
—Sacbee.com, 28 Aug. 2025
Irradiating food is a safety measure aimed to decontaminate it.
—Laura Baisas, Popular Science, 21 Aug. 2025
Has been contaminated due to methamphetamine and the owner has not appealed or decontaminated the property within 90 days.
—Jolene Almendarez, The Enquirer, 2 July 2025
See All Example Sentences for decontaminate
Recent Examples of Synonyms for decontaminate
Verb
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They can be scheduled to clean specific rooms at set times.—
Kelsey Mulvey,
Southern Living,
31 Oct. 2025
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In the Dominican Republic, an adult died after having been sucked in a sewer while trying to clean it, the deputy director of the country's emergency agency, Julian Garcia, told NBC News.—
Matt Nighswander,
NBC news,
30 Oct. 2025
Verb
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Grab a fresh cloth and dip it in clean water to wipe the countertops again.—
Daley Quinn,
Southern Living,
29 Oct. 2025
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Afterward, wipe it away with a cloth or gently lift stubborn residue with a plastic scraper.—
Mary Cornetta,
Better Homes & Gardens,
29 Oct. 2025
Verb
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Ross needs to lean into purging this franchise of its mediocre ways, which has turned a generation of South Florida fans away from football.—
Omar Kelly
October 31,
Miami Herald,
31 Oct. 2025
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Studios en masse suspended all of its first look and overall arrangements with writers, and the studios used the opportunity to purge from its ranks some of the expensive ones with talent that weren’t actually resulting in any shows.—
Brian Welk,
IndieWire,
28 Oct. 2025
Verb
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Into this pastoral scene of modern irrigation and baseball training sweeps Walter Matthau, driving a big, old, shambolic convertible, well past its prime but, like its driver, still possessing more than a bit of charm.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
4 Nov. 2025
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An avalanche on Monday swept through a camp in Nepal, killing five foreign climbers and two Nepali guides, officials said.—
Louis Casiano,
FOXNews.com,
3 Nov. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Decontaminate.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/decontaminate. Accessed 4 Nov. 2025.
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