decontaminate
verb
de·con·tam·i·nate
ˌdē-kən-ˈta-mə-ˌnāt 
decontaminated; decontaminating; decontaminates
: to rid of contamination (such as radioactive material)
Examples of decontaminate in a Sentence
Special workers were called in to decontaminate the area after the oil spill.
Recent Examples on the Web
There are free stations to decontaminate watercraft around the state — for more information go to the DNR website.
—
Pioneer Press, Twin Cities, 16 Sep. 2025
Afterward, the animals were decontaminated and bathed, and those who experienced the most inhalation are being supervised at a veterinary clinic, Halverson said.
—Melina Khan, USA Today, 15 Sep. 2025
There’s no cost at Tahoe’s inspection station to decontaminate a kayak or paddleboard, plus experts will educate you on how to do it, Patten said.
—Sacbee.com, 28 Aug. 2025
Irradiating food is a safety measure aimed to decontaminate it.
—Laura Baisas, Popular Science, 21 Aug. 2025
See All Example Sentences for decontaminate
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Pioneer Press, Twin Cities, 16 Sep. 2025
Afterward, the animals were decontaminated and bathed, and those who experienced the most inhalation are being supervised at a veterinary clinic, Halverson said.
—Melina Khan, USA Today, 15 Sep. 2025
There’s no cost at Tahoe’s inspection station to decontaminate a kayak or paddleboard, plus experts will educate you on how to do it, Patten said.
—Sacbee.com, 28 Aug. 2025
Irradiating food is a safety measure aimed to decontaminate it.
—Laura Baisas, Popular Science, 21 Aug. 2025
See All Example Sentences for decontaminate
Cite this Entry
“Decontaminate.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/decontaminate. Accessed 20 Sep. 2025.
Copy CitationKids Definition
decontaminate
verb
de·con·tam·i·nate
ˌdē-kən-ˈtam-ə-ˌnāt
: to rid of something (as radioactive material) that contaminates
Medical Definition
decontaminate
transitive verb
de·con·tam·i·nate
ˌdē-kən-ˈtam-ə-ˌnāt
decontaminated; decontaminating
: to rid of contamination (as radioactive material)
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