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
Somehow, the once-proud Miami Dolphins -- still the singular franchise of The Perfect Season -- have become one of the dregs of the league, albeit (as this year) seldom one bad enough to gain a really high draft pick to help excavate from the mire.
—
Miami Herald, 28 Dec. 2025
But, for one reason or another, the site has never been excavated or even accessed by archaeologists since (and is unlikely to be for some time).
—Christopher McFadden, Interesting Engineering, 25 Dec. 2025
Man-su and Mi-ri are more happily married, but months of unemployment and multiple homicides take their toll, excavating old resentments and failures, including Man-su’s past struggles with alcoholism.
—Justin Chang, New Yorker, 23 Dec. 2025
The jackstraw presented a puzzle to be solved, raw material from which to excavate a way through.
—Literary Hub, 22 Dec. 2025
See All Example Sentences for excavate
Miami Herald, 28 Dec. 2025
But, for one reason or another, the site has never been excavated or even accessed by archaeologists since (and is unlikely to be for some time).
—Christopher McFadden, Interesting Engineering, 25 Dec. 2025
Man-su and Mi-ri are more happily married, but months of unemployment and multiple homicides take their toll, excavating old resentments and failures, including Man-su’s past struggles with alcoholism.
—Justin Chang, New Yorker, 23 Dec. 2025
The jackstraw presented a puzzle to be solved, raw material from which to excavate a way through.
—Literary Hub, 22 Dec. 2025
See All Example Sentences for excavate
Recent Examples of Synonyms for excavate
Verb
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Excavators digging at Sizewell C found 321 silver coins last year, dating back between 1036 and 1044.—
Andrea Margolis,
FOXNews.com,
27 Jan. 2026
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Support journalism that digs deeper into topics that matter most to Arkansans.—
John Brummett,
Arkansas Online,
27 Jan. 2026
Verb
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That’s because the physical exertion of shoveling increases heart rate and blood pressure, while at the same time the cold constricts blood vessels–a double whammy of stressors.—
Amy Feldman,
Forbes.com,
28 Jan. 2026
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So the residents have to shovel themselves out.—
Ashley Paul,
CBS News,
28 Jan. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Excavate.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/excavate. Accessed 1 Feb. 2026.
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