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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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 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 More than a dozen first responders were quarantined and decontaminated after responding to the scene. — ABC News, 22 May 2026 See All Example Sentences for decontaminate

Recent Examples of Synonyms for decontaminate

Verb

The bathroom had blood splattered on the wall, so hospital staff asked a janitor to clean it.

— Landon Mion, FOXNews.com, 2 Aug. 2026
Following the recommendations by Abraham, a dryer venting ductwork should be cleaned at least once every two years to ensure proper air flow, maximize the performance of the appliance, and prevent the risk of fire in a home.

— Mary Marlowe Leverette, The Spruce, 2 Aug. 2026

Definition of clean

Verb

However, the vast majority of these folks did not actually vote, and many asked for their erroneous registrations to be purged, contrary to the Republican fantasy that millions of noncitizens are all gunning to illegally vote.

— New York Daily News Editorial Board, New York Daily News, 26 July 2026
Partially funded by the federal government, the institution is governed by a board of regents, which does not have presidential appointees and can’t be purged in the way that the board of the Kennedy Center was.

— Kelsey Ables, The Atlantic, 25 July 2026

Definition of purge

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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 7 Aug. 2026.

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Synonyms of decontaminate

verb

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