as in to clean
to remove dirty or dangerous substances (such as radioactive material) from (a person, thing, place, etc.)
Special workers were called in to decontaminate the area after the oil spill.
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Recent Examples of decontaminate
Items worn in floodwaters should not be worn inside the home and should be decontaminated and washed, authorities said.
—
Los Angeles Times, 4 Apr. 2025
The problem is exacerbated when healthcare workers turn to procedures to decontaminate and reuse masks, such as baking or boiling, UV light towers, even large fumigation machines, all of which can extinguish a mask’s electrostatic charge.
—IEEE Spectrum, 14 Sep. 2020
Solano County officials last fall enacted similar restrictions at Lake Berryessa, barring boats from the Delta unless they are quarantined or decontaminated.
—Daniel Hunt, Sacbee.com, 27 Mar. 2025
Then on Wednesday, sheriff’s officials sent an urgent message to patrol cars, saying the Altadena air had become so toxic after days of wildfires that deputies should wear masks on the job and decontaminate their uniforms before stepping foot in their homes.
—Keri Blakinger, Los Angeles Times, 21 Jan. 2025
See All Example Sentences for decontaminate
Los Angeles Times, 4 Apr. 2025
The problem is exacerbated when healthcare workers turn to procedures to decontaminate and reuse masks, such as baking or boiling, UV light towers, even large fumigation machines, all of which can extinguish a mask’s electrostatic charge.
—IEEE Spectrum, 14 Sep. 2020
Solano County officials last fall enacted similar restrictions at Lake Berryessa, barring boats from the Delta unless they are quarantined or decontaminated.
—Daniel Hunt, Sacbee.com, 27 Mar. 2025
Then on Wednesday, sheriff’s officials sent an urgent message to patrol cars, saying the Altadena air had become so toxic after days of wildfires that deputies should wear masks on the job and decontaminate their uniforms before stepping foot in their homes.
—Keri Blakinger, Los Angeles Times, 21 Jan. 2025
See All Example Sentences for decontaminate
Recent Examples of Synonyms for decontaminate
Verb
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At the Consumer Electronics Show in Las Vegas this year, Roborock showed off a vacuum with a robotic arm for automatically removing obstacles while cleaning floors.—
Evelyn Cheng,
CNBC,
12 June 2025
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Details like the hidden interior pocket and soft patch for cleaning sunglasses are bonus selling points.—
Olivia Young,
Travel + Leisure,
12 June 2025
Verb
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Or has this show wiped Big from everyone’s memories?—
Maggie Fremont,
Vulture,
6 June 2025
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Either way, finish the process by wiping the area down with clean water and drying with a towel to remove any remaining moisture.—
Patricia Shannon,
Southern Living,
5 June 2025
Verb
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In early April, Hegseth purged 400 books from the Naval Academy library on race relations, gender, and sexuality.—
Sophie Clark,
MSNBC Newsweek,
4 June 2025
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Mexico President Claudia Sheinbaum and party allies have said the elections are a way to purge the court system of corruption in a country that has long faced high levels of impunity.—
Arkansas Online,
Arkansas Online,
2 June 2025
Verb
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Flash flooding currents are strong and can sweep drivers off roadways.—
NC Weather Bot,
Charlotte Observer,
12 June 2025
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The Bruins composed themselves to sweep their regional and super regional to win something that had eluded them for more than a decade.—
Brady Oltmans,
Los Angeles Times,
12 June 2025
Cite this Entry
“Decontaminate.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/decontaminate. Accessed 18 Jun. 2025.
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