DECONTAMINATE Synonyms: 49 Similar and Opposite Words

decontaminate

verb

Definition of decontaminate

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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Example Sentences

Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.

Recent Examples of decontaminate Specialist teams came to retrieve the body and decontaminate the roadside, while his family members stood around and wept. — Emmet Livingstone, NPR, 15 June 2026 Officials have decontaminated the facility’s inmate housing as a precaution and medical staff are monitoring prisoners and staff, The Mercury News reported. — Karen Garcia, Los Angeles Times, 12 June 2026 All first responders and equipment involved in the operation had to be decontaminated, officials said. — Sam Gillette, PEOPLE, 8 June 2026 The bodies must be decontaminated before being taken to the corner’s office, local authorities said. — Jeanine Santucci, USA Today, 29 May 2026 See All Example Sentences for decontaminate

Recent Examples of Synonyms for decontaminate

Verb

Really, as long as the boots are leather and in good shape, they can typically be conditioned and cleaned.

— Ashley Poskin, Martha Stewart, 6 Sep. 2026
Best Last-Chance Amazon Home Labor Day Sales Give your home a refresh with last-minute deals on fresh cozy bedding, cleaning gadgets, and décor.

— Isabel Garcia, PEOPLE, 6 Sep. 2026

Definition of clean

Verb

Rinse and wipe these surfaces well before moving on to the rest of the cabinet.

— Kate Van Pelt, The Spruce, 6 Sep. 2026
For those with children or pets, the performance fabric is designed to wipe clean, and the seat cushions are removable to easily clean the sofa’s frame.

— Kate McGregor, Architectural Digest, 1 Sep. 2026

Definition of wipe

Verb

Since each toolhead can remain loaded with a separate filament, the printer can switch between them (in a single second, the company claims), without repeatedly purging filament through one nozzle.

— New Atlas, New Atlas, 5 Sep. 2026
The pushback prompted several companies, including LinkedIn and Spotify, to purge their platforms of the digital waste.

— Christopher Cann, USA Today, 30 Aug. 2026

Definition of purge

Verb

After the Giants punched their ticket by sweeping two games from the Ports, Haines confirmed that Flora would take the ball one more time in next week’s best-of-3 series against Lake Elsinore.

— Andrew Baggarly, New York Times, 11 Sep. 2026
Officers covered all exits while others swept the interior, including homing in on locked doors.

— Valerie Gonzalez, Los Angeles Times, 11 Sep. 2026

Definition of sweep

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deconstructs

decontaminate

decontaminated

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“Decontaminate.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/decontaminate. Accessed 16 Sep. 2026.

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Synonyms of decontaminate

verb

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