as in dug
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 excavated
Koungoulos and Doyle excavated the bones only after Quayle had performed a smoking ceremony over the grave, which involves passing smoke over the grave and the bones as a form of spiritual cleansing.
—
ArsTechnica, 18 May 2026
The Suez Canal, however, is an artificial waterway excavated through Egyptian territory, while the Strait of Hormuz is a naturally occurring strait governed by a different legal framework, according to an international law expert.
—Mostafa Salem, CNN Money, 17 May 2026
The burial was excavated by Colchester Archaeological Trust during archaeological work at the former Essex County Hospital site.
—Maria Mocerino, Interesting Engineering, 17 May 2026
Embedded in a rock formation along the side of a pond, the region’s Department of Mineral Resources excavated 10 bones, including a front leg bone estimated to be nearly six feet.
—Briana Alvarado, ABC News, 14 May 2026
Also already under way this summer is the first annual maintenance of the new pitch, where the top 10 millimetres are being replaced, compared with the best part of 600 millimetres that had to be excavated a year ago when the new surface was laid.
—Richard Sutcliffe, New York Times, 14 May 2026
In January 2021, police found Muirhead's Red Bull can and excavated around it.
—Jessica Sager, PEOPLE, 3 May 2026
In 1870 businessman and archaeologist Heinrich Schliemann excavated Hisarlik in Turkey, which had been identified as the probable location of ancient Troy.
—Gitanjali Roy, Encyclopedia Britannica, 30 Apr. 2026
It was excavated between 1906 to 1910, but has not been fully explored since then.
—Anne Doran, ARTnews.com, 24 Apr. 2026
ArsTechnica, 18 May 2026
The Suez Canal, however, is an artificial waterway excavated through Egyptian territory, while the Strait of Hormuz is a naturally occurring strait governed by a different legal framework, according to an international law expert.
—Mostafa Salem, CNN Money, 17 May 2026
The burial was excavated by Colchester Archaeological Trust during archaeological work at the former Essex County Hospital site.
—Maria Mocerino, Interesting Engineering, 17 May 2026
Embedded in a rock formation along the side of a pond, the region’s Department of Mineral Resources excavated 10 bones, including a front leg bone estimated to be nearly six feet.
—Briana Alvarado, ABC News, 14 May 2026
Also already under way this summer is the first annual maintenance of the new pitch, where the top 10 millimetres are being replaced, compared with the best part of 600 millimetres that had to be excavated a year ago when the new surface was laid.
—Richard Sutcliffe, New York Times, 14 May 2026
In January 2021, police found Muirhead's Red Bull can and excavated around it.
—Jessica Sager, PEOPLE, 3 May 2026
In 1870 businessman and archaeologist Heinrich Schliemann excavated Hisarlik in Turkey, which had been identified as the probable location of ancient Troy.
—Gitanjali Roy, Encyclopedia Britannica, 30 Apr. 2026
It was excavated between 1906 to 1910, but has not been fully explored since then.
—Anne Doran, ARTnews.com, 24 Apr. 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for excavated
dug
Verb
-
The Dream dug themselves an early hole, starting a dismal 1-of-12 from three-point range in the first quarter and missing several layups in transition.—
Christopher Harris,
CBS News,
13 May 2026
-
In 2023, a cadaver dog alerted on topsoil near a converted shed behind the house in which the boy and his family lived, but as authorities dug deeper, the dog no longer alerted, according to a law enforcement source familiar with the investigation.—
Lillie Davidson,
Fort Worth Star-Telegram,
12 May 2026
Cite this Entry
“Excavated.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/excavated. Accessed 19 May. 2026.
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