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 excavating the site of a future golf course were surprised to find evidence of a prehistoric village — including a rare chariot wheel dating back millennia.
—
Andrea Margolis, FOXNews.com, 2 May 2025
However, analysis of a man’s skeleton excavated near York appears to finally offer concrete confirmation of the gruesome entertainment.
—Andrew Paul, Popular Science, 23 Apr. 2025
But figuring out what’s excavating without your permission isn’t straightforward.
—Arricca Elin Sansone, Southern Living, 8 May 2025
Archaeologists did not excavate the largest part of the hole but suspect more treasures may be hidden within.
—Aspen Pflughoeft, Miami Herald, 8 May 2025
See All Example Sentences for excavate
Andrea Margolis, FOXNews.com, 2 May 2025
However, analysis of a man’s skeleton excavated near York appears to finally offer concrete confirmation of the gruesome entertainment.
—Andrew Paul, Popular Science, 23 Apr. 2025
But figuring out what’s excavating without your permission isn’t straightforward.
—Arricca Elin Sansone, Southern Living, 8 May 2025
Archaeologists did not excavate the largest part of the hole but suspect more treasures may be hidden within.
—Aspen Pflughoeft, Miami Herald, 8 May 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.—
Amir Mahmoud,
Arkansas Online,
27 May 2025
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Scientists dug around the trapdoor to catch the bristly animal — and discovered a new species.—
Aspen Pflughoeft,
Miami Herald,
27 May 2025
Verb
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After Hart shoveled the ball to Jalen Brunson, Andrew Nembhard stymied Brunson, causing the ball to go out of bounds and nearly forcing a turnover.—
Joe Vardon,
New York Times,
31 May 2025
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He's also noticed that workers often shovel coal in bouts, working hard in teams of two or three, and then all taking breaks together.—
Jonathan Lambert,
NPR,
18 May 2025
Cite this Entry
“Excavate.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/excavate. Accessed 4 Jun. 2025.
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