as in to dig
to hollow out or form (something) by removing earth
workmen are excavating a long tunnel that will eventually replace the aboveground expressway
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Recent Examples of excavate
Archaeologists in Scotland have excavated over 100 weapon projectiles, including cannon shot and lead musket balls from one of the country’s most famous battlefields.
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Andrew Paul, Popular Science, 30 Oct. 2025
Archaeologists have been excavating the grounds of Hertford College, a constituent college of Oxford University, since 2024, as part of construction work for a new library.
—Andrea Margolis, FOXNews.com, 30 Oct. 2025
Established in 2022 in San Francisco’s Dogpatch neighborhood, ICA SF launched with an exhibition of Jeffrey Gibson comprising a large-scale video installation and holes excavated in the gallery floor.
—News Desk, Artforum, 29 Oct. 2025
The original crown, which is more than 1,000 years old, was excavated from Cheonmachong tomb in the 1970s and is considered a national treasure.
—Chad De Guzman, Time, 29 Oct. 2025
See All Example Sentences for excavate
Andrew Paul, Popular Science, 30 Oct. 2025
Archaeologists have been excavating the grounds of Hertford College, a constituent college of Oxford University, since 2024, as part of construction work for a new library.
—Andrea Margolis, FOXNews.com, 30 Oct. 2025
Established in 2022 in San Francisco’s Dogpatch neighborhood, ICA SF launched with an exhibition of Jeffrey Gibson comprising a large-scale video installation and holes excavated in the gallery floor.
—News Desk, Artforum, 29 Oct. 2025
The original crown, which is more than 1,000 years old, was excavated from Cheonmachong tomb in the 1970s and is considered a national treasure.
—Chad De Guzman, Time, 29 Oct. 2025
See All Example Sentences for excavate
Recent Examples of Synonyms for excavate
Verb
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Support journalism that digs deeper into topics that matter most to Arkansans.—
Arkansas Online,
Arkansas Online,
11 Nov. 2025
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The Yankees will need to dig deep into their pockets to bring Bellinger back.—
Zach Pressnell,
MSNBC Newsweek,
11 Nov. 2025
Verb
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But the mandates also help colleges shovel heaps of bureaucratic muck—validating data for accreditation, carrying out enrollment, flagging troubled students, aggregating metrics of all kinds.—
Ian Bogost,
The Atlantic,
4 Nov. 2025
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This will improve your ability to perform daily tasks like reaching the back seat of your car to grab an object, shoveling snow, or raking leaves.—
Jenny McCoy,
Outside,
29 Oct. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Excavate.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/excavate. Accessed 19 Nov. 2025.
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