as in cleaned
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 decontaminated
Penny and Ghazarian hired their own industrial hygienist, who concluded the property needed to be decontaminated of heavy metals and other combustion by-products.
—
Tony Saavedra, Daily News, 5 Mar. 2026
The sheriff's office says first responders were decontaminated at the hospital.
—Dejanay Booth-Singleton, CBS News, 18 Feb. 2026
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
Has been contaminated due to methamphetamine and the owner has not appealed or decontaminated the property within 90 days.
—Jolene Almendarez, Cincinnati Enquirer, 18 June 2025
Tony Saavedra, Daily News, 5 Mar. 2026
The sheriff's office says first responders were decontaminated at the hospital.
—Dejanay Booth-Singleton, CBS News, 18 Feb. 2026
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
Has been contaminated due to methamphetamine and the owner has not appealed or decontaminated the property within 90 days.
—Jolene Almendarez, Cincinnati Enquirer, 18 June 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for decontaminated
Verb
-
Some stainless steel interiors should not be cleaned with bleach.—
Jessica Safavimehr,
Southern Living,
3 Mar. 2026
-
Rooms are cleaned on a specific schedule, especially at larger or high-end properties.—
Iona Brannon,
Travel + Leisure,
3 Mar. 2026
Verb
-
Michael Harris was skiing at Stevens Pass, a resort an hour and a half east of Seattle, on February 26, when an avalanche swept him away.—
Owen Clarke,
Outside,
9 Mar. 2026
-
Snow piles grew even faster where strong winds had swept the powder over ridgelines and deposited it on north-facing slopes.—
Sacbee.com,
Sacbee.com,
9 Mar. 2026
Verb
-
Pristine lunar samples are stored and handled in stainless steel glove cabinets, separated by triple layers of gloves, and purged by high-purity nitrogen gas to reduce sample degradation.—
Jeff Spry,
Space.com,
28 Feb. 2026
-
Liu Zhenli was in charge of the Joint Staff Department before he was purged.—
Jennifer Jett,
NBC news,
25 Feb. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Decontaminated.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/decontaminated. Accessed 10 Mar. 2026.
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