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
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
Workers excavated parts of the route with explosives and built locks and aqueducts along 363 miles of canal.
—JSTOR Daily, 26 Oct. 2025
In 2002 researchers excavated a site with a mass grave of 2,000 to 3,000 people in Vilnius, Lithuania.
—Andrea Tamayo, Scientific American, 24 Oct. 2025
The region’s low humidity and dry climate helped preserve the fecal samples and other finds that have been recovered from the cave since it was first excavated in the middle of the 20th century.
—Laura Baisas, Popular Science, 22 Oct. 2025
The partial skeleton was excavated from Koobi Fora in Kenya.
—Mrigakshi Dixit, Interesting Engineering, 16 Oct. 2025
When an unknown person filled in the hole last year, Good Samaritans immediately excavated it.
—Mason Leath, ABC News, 15 Oct. 2025
His aristocratic tastes are reflected in his various building projects, the remains of which have been excavated.
—Literary Hub, 30 Sep. 2025
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
Workers excavated parts of the route with explosives and built locks and aqueducts along 363 miles of canal.
—JSTOR Daily, 26 Oct. 2025
In 2002 researchers excavated a site with a mass grave of 2,000 to 3,000 people in Vilnius, Lithuania.
—Andrea Tamayo, Scientific American, 24 Oct. 2025
The region’s low humidity and dry climate helped preserve the fecal samples and other finds that have been recovered from the cave since it was first excavated in the middle of the 20th century.
—Laura Baisas, Popular Science, 22 Oct. 2025
The partial skeleton was excavated from Koobi Fora in Kenya.
—Mrigakshi Dixit, Interesting Engineering, 16 Oct. 2025
When an unknown person filled in the hole last year, Good Samaritans immediately excavated it.
—Mason Leath, ABC News, 15 Oct. 2025
His aristocratic tastes are reflected in his various building projects, the remains of which have been excavated.
—Literary Hub, 30 Sep. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for excavated
dug
Verb
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New beds should be dug or loosened to a depth of 12 inches for varieties with larger bulbs.—
Andy Wilcox,
Better Homes & Gardens,
29 Oct. 2025
-
But the Senate needs a 60-vote majority of lawmakers to reopen the government, and Democrats have dug their heels in and are demanding the reinstatement of expiring Obamacare subsidies.—
Zach Halaschak,
The Washington Examiner,
29 Oct. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Excavated.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/excavated. Accessed 2 Nov. 2025.
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