as in clearing
to remove the contents of
empty the room before starting to paint the ceiling
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Recent Examples of emptying
Scooting is often a sign that your dog’s anal glands are full, irritated or not emptying properly.
—
Kasey Caminiti, USA Today, 5 Feb. 2026
Start by emptying shelves, removing all items, one shelf at a time.
—Melissa Locker, Southern Living, 4 Feb. 2026
The victim, a Loomis employee, was emptying the ATMs when he was shot.
—Steven Rosenbaum, CBS News, 4 Feb. 2026
More Valentine’s Day gifts that will fill her heart without emptying your wallet are just below.
—Jeaneen Russell, PEOPLE, 31 Jan. 2026
Coffee Grounds When emptying your coffee maker, toss the extra grounds into the trash (or hold onto them for one of the activities described below), but do not pour them down the drain, Vanessa Terra Bossart, the owner of Green Terra Cleaning, warns.
—Sarah Lyon, The Spruce, 25 Jan. 2026
Each unit’s weekly cleaning regimen includes completely emptying the waste with the vacuum truck’s suction wand, adding deodorizer that breaks down future waste and mitigates bad smells, scrubbing and disinfecting every surface inside the unit, and restocking paper goods.
—Tom Huddleston Jr.
mickey Todiwala, CNBC, 24 Jan. 2026
Oklahomans are quickly emptying grocery store shelves and lining up at gas stations to fill up their tanks ahead of what's expected to be a significant, impactful winter storm.
—Isa Almeida, Oklahoman, 23 Jan. 2026
This limit determines how much material can fall to a body like a star or black hole before the radiation generated by that accretion pushes further matter away, emptying the central object's larder of gas and dust, thus cutting off its food supply.
—Robert Lea, Space.com, 22 Jan. 2026
Kasey Caminiti, USA Today, 5 Feb. 2026
Start by emptying shelves, removing all items, one shelf at a time.
—Melissa Locker, Southern Living, 4 Feb. 2026
The victim, a Loomis employee, was emptying the ATMs when he was shot.
—Steven Rosenbaum, CBS News, 4 Feb. 2026
More Valentine’s Day gifts that will fill her heart without emptying your wallet are just below.
—Jeaneen Russell, PEOPLE, 31 Jan. 2026
Coffee Grounds When emptying your coffee maker, toss the extra grounds into the trash (or hold onto them for one of the activities described below), but do not pour them down the drain, Vanessa Terra Bossart, the owner of Green Terra Cleaning, warns.
—Sarah Lyon, The Spruce, 25 Jan. 2026
Each unit’s weekly cleaning regimen includes completely emptying the waste with the vacuum truck’s suction wand, adding deodorizer that breaks down future waste and mitigates bad smells, scrubbing and disinfecting every surface inside the unit, and restocking paper goods.
—Tom Huddleston Jr.
mickey Todiwala, CNBC, 24 Jan. 2026
Oklahomans are quickly emptying grocery store shelves and lining up at gas stations to fill up their tanks ahead of what's expected to be a significant, impactful winter storm.
—Isa Almeida, Oklahoman, 23 Jan. 2026
This limit determines how much material can fall to a body like a star or black hole before the radiation generated by that accretion pushes further matter away, emptying the central object's larder of gas and dust, thus cutting off its food supply.
—Robert Lea, Space.com, 22 Jan. 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for emptying
Verb
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Those workers will focus on repairing broken lights, hardening lights to prevent copper wire theft and clearing the backlog of deferred cases.—
Melissa Gomez,
Los Angeles Times,
14 Feb. 2026
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The player who reaches the bottom fastest while clearing each gate wins that heat.—
Ramon Padilla,
USA Today,
11 Feb. 2026
Verb
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School officials started evacuating students Friday morning while law enforcement secured the area.—
Julianna Duennes Russ,
Austin American Statesman,
6 Feb. 2026
-
Workers were in the process of evacuating the building.—
Harriet Ramos,
Fort Worth Star-Telegram,
6 Feb. 2026
Verb
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Make sure to use a damp mop rather than a soaking wet one, or use a floor spray designed for hardwood floors and a dry cleaning pad to clean the surface.—
Daley Quinn,
Southern Living,
14 Feb. 2026
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The facility’s employees lacked food safety knowledge in several areas including holding temperatures, proper sanitizing of food contact surfaces and cleaning frequency.—
Veronica Fernandez-Alvarado
February 13,
Sacbee.com,
13 Feb. 2026
Verb
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But the storks suffered when developers and agriculture operations began the ditching and draining that eventually compromised some 35% of South Florida's wetlands, where the majority of the birds nested.—
Dinah Voyles Pulver,
USA Today,
9 Feb. 2026
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Use a rich, well-draining, loamy soil mix rich in organic matter.—
SJ McShane,
Martha Stewart,
9 Feb. 2026
Verb
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Ensure your home is securely locked when vacating the premises.—
NC Weather Bot,
Charlotte Observer,
30 Jan. 2026
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Christy Kirkland, a 25-year veteran of Polk County school district, said a pay bump is not enough to prevent teachers from vacating their jobs.—
CBS News,
CBS News,
21 Jan. 2026
Verb
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The candidate also listed support for local law enforcement, reducing government spending and eliminating taxes on Social Security as other campaign priorities.—
William Melhado,
Sacbee.com,
15 Feb. 2026
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Decanting and combining your spices is an easy first step to reducing clutter and eliminating duplicates.—
Cody Godwin,
USA Today,
15 Feb. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Emptying.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/emptying. Accessed 17 Feb. 2026.
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