as in discovery
the act or process of sighting or learning the existence of something for the first time
the unearthing of a prehistoric man who had been preserved in an Alpine glacier proved to be a great boon to science
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Recent Examples of unearthing
Miami Herald, 8 Apr. 2026
As part of that unearthing, the company is looking to do sitework and underground utilities for data centers — doing everything from moving the dirt to implementing drainage — to lay the foundation for both dry and wet utilities, Executive Vice President Travis Mross said.
—Kelsey Brown, San Antonio Express-News, 28 Jan. 2026
For Ruffier, the hardest part was filming scenes that show her unearthing and reading her old school-time diaries, full of entries about her then-teacher.
—Georg Szalai, HollywoodReporter, 20 Jan. 2026
The murders followed a deadly boat crash that led to the unearthing of multiple scandals involving the wealthy family, one of the state's most formidable legal dynasties.
—Mekishana Pierre, Entertainment Weekly, 20 Oct. 2025
Our setting, The Case Is Altered, is named after a 17th-century Ben Jonson play and refers to the unearthing of evidence that completely changes a legal outcome.
—Yvonne Zipp, Christian Science Monitor, 17 Sep. 2025
Rochana Redkar, Clinical Fellow in Paediatric Haematology Oncology and Bone Marrow Transplant Unit, was excited to see the unearthing.
—Jennifer Hauser, CNN Money, 28 Aug. 2025
The trailer also teases the unearthing of Addams family secrets.
—Allison Degrushe Published, EW.com, 15 Aug. 2025
Angela Andaloro, PEOPLE, 22 Apr. 2026
Warrior Mars powers your 6th House of Work and Wellness, sextiling unearthing Pluto in your 4th House of Roots to update habits shaped by history.
—Tarot.com, Hartford Courant, 16 Apr. 2026
The film centers on two sisters, long estranged, who are drawn back together by a family crisis, unearthing questions of sacrifice, obligation and the weight of unresolved history.
—Naman Ramachandran, Variety, 7 Apr. 2026
How have Spanish governments’ attitudes toward unearthing information about the victims of the Franco regime changed over time?
—Georg Szalai, HollywoodReporter, 12 Mar. 2026
Once the capsule is buried on July 4, the Park Service will take ownership of it and will be responsible for eventually unearthing it.
—Karissa Waddick, USA Today, 26 Feb. 2026
Some of the artifacts were discovered almost 100 years ago, but ongoing excavations are constantly unearthing new ones.
—Jacopo Prisco, CNN Money, 25 Feb. 2026
Your 4th House of Home becomes a deep well as the nurturing Moon conjoins unearthing Pluto there, encouraging you to cleanse closets and clear emotional dust.
—Tarot.com, The Orlando Sentinel, 15 Feb. 2026
Some viewed the discovery as a divine gift, while a local priest chastised the explorers for unearthing Satan, saying the blowout was God’s punishment.
—The Atlantic, 29 Jan. 2026
Noun
On Monday, teachers, school board members, city officials, curious residents and even one 1976 student of the school previously known as May Sands School came out to see the unearthing.
—Miami Herald, 8 Apr. 2026
As part of that unearthing, the company is looking to do sitework and underground utilities for data centers — doing everything from moving the dirt to implementing drainage — to lay the foundation for both dry and wet utilities, Executive Vice President Travis Mross said.
—Kelsey Brown, San Antonio Express-News, 28 Jan. 2026
For Ruffier, the hardest part was filming scenes that show her unearthing and reading her old school-time diaries, full of entries about her then-teacher.
—Georg Szalai, HollywoodReporter, 20 Jan. 2026
The murders followed a deadly boat crash that led to the unearthing of multiple scandals involving the wealthy family, one of the state's most formidable legal dynasties.
—Mekishana Pierre, Entertainment Weekly, 20 Oct. 2025
Our setting, The Case Is Altered, is named after a 17th-century Ben Jonson play and refers to the unearthing of evidence that completely changes a legal outcome.
—Yvonne Zipp, Christian Science Monitor, 17 Sep. 2025
Rochana Redkar, Clinical Fellow in Paediatric Haematology Oncology and Bone Marrow Transplant Unit, was excited to see the unearthing.
—Jennifer Hauser, CNN Money, 28 Aug. 2025
The trailer also teases the unearthing of Addams family secrets.
—Allison Degrushe Published, EW.com, 15 Aug. 2025
Verb
The idea was likened to a national version of unearthing an ancient Egyptian tomb and expected to fascinate audiences.
—Angela Andaloro, PEOPLE, 22 Apr. 2026
Warrior Mars powers your 6th House of Work and Wellness, sextiling unearthing Pluto in your 4th House of Roots to update habits shaped by history.
—Tarot.com, Hartford Courant, 16 Apr. 2026
The film centers on two sisters, long estranged, who are drawn back together by a family crisis, unearthing questions of sacrifice, obligation and the weight of unresolved history.
—Naman Ramachandran, Variety, 7 Apr. 2026
How have Spanish governments’ attitudes toward unearthing information about the victims of the Franco regime changed over time?
—Georg Szalai, HollywoodReporter, 12 Mar. 2026
Once the capsule is buried on July 4, the Park Service will take ownership of it and will be responsible for eventually unearthing it.
—Karissa Waddick, USA Today, 26 Feb. 2026
Some of the artifacts were discovered almost 100 years ago, but ongoing excavations are constantly unearthing new ones.
—Jacopo Prisco, CNN Money, 25 Feb. 2026
Your 4th House of Home becomes a deep well as the nurturing Moon conjoins unearthing Pluto there, encouraging you to cleanse closets and clear emotional dust.
—Tarot.com, The Orlando Sentinel, 15 Feb. 2026
Some viewed the discovery as a divine gift, while a local priest chastised the explorers for unearthing Satan, saying the blowout was God’s punishment.
—The Atlantic, 29 Jan. 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for unearthing
Noun
-
The discoveries have exceeded expectations, and archaeologists believe additional caves will be uncovered.—
Maria Mocerino,
Interesting Engineering,
3 May 2026
-
Police said a customer at the time of the discovery had reported that a jar appeared to have been tampered with, but no one had consumed the baby food.—
ABC News,
ABC News,
3 May 2026
Verb
-
His hand dove for his pocket, fishing out his wallet, exhuming cards — credit, debit, whatever — and punching their digits into his favorite betting apps.—
Max Klaver,
Miami Herald,
10 Apr. 2026
-
Police in 2023 uncovered hundreds of bodies buried in a forest in Kenya’s coastal Kilifi region, exhuming mass graves tied to a religious leader accused of starving his followers to death.—
Greg Wehner,
FOXNews.com,
29 Mar. 2026
Noun
-
But the new findings suggest that getting the same amount of rest and activity each day without interruption—in other words, getting longer, sustained periods of rest and activity—may be a key to healthier aging.—
Claire Cameron,
Scientific American,
7 May 2026
-
After their initial findings, the Sheriff’s Office asked for additional data and academic research to support their new method for detecting remains using soil vapor.—
Richard Winton,
Los Angeles Times,
7 May 2026
Cite this Entry
“Unearthing.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/unearthing. Accessed 9 May. 2026.
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