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
For months, the day laborers had decontaminated homes that survived the Los Angeles wildfires.
—
New York Times, 12 July 2025
The company would also deal with the problem of sealing the sample return capsule and making sure that it is decontaminated in accordance with NASA and international safety protocols against interplanetary contamination.
—New Atlas, 6 July 2025
People covered in jet fuel were also decontaminated before being treated.
—Gabrielle Rockson, People.com, 3 July 2025
Patterson warns that people should not touch bats and should be sure to decontaminate after visiting bat habitat to avoid spreading it.
—Shelly Bradbury, Denver Post, 27 June 2025
See All Example Sentences for decontaminate
New York Times, 12 July 2025
The company would also deal with the problem of sealing the sample return capsule and making sure that it is decontaminated in accordance with NASA and international safety protocols against interplanetary contamination.
—New Atlas, 6 July 2025
People covered in jet fuel were also decontaminated before being treated.
—Gabrielle Rockson, People.com, 3 July 2025
Patterson warns that people should not touch bats and should be sure to decontaminate after visiting bat habitat to avoid spreading it.
—Shelly Bradbury, Denver Post, 27 June 2025
See All Example Sentences for decontaminate
Recent Examples of Synonyms for decontaminate
Verb
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The removable insulation liner makes for easy water dumping and cleaning, even if the fabric does have a few folds and creases in the corners.—
Adam Campbell-Schmitt,
Bon Appetit Magazine,
18 Sep. 2025
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The agency said if animals are exposed to the blooms, they can be cleaned with tap water.—
Arkansas Online,
Arkansas Online,
18 Sep. 2025
Verb
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Dump the kettle out in the sink, then use a soft sponge or cloth if needed to wipe the inside.—
Brandee Gruener,
Southern Living,
17 Sep. 2025
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Apply it to the pan, then rinse it away and wipe your pan dry.—
Emily Johnson,
Bon Appetit Magazine,
15 Sep. 2025
Verb
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Violence and vitriol must be purged from the public square.—
Harrison Mantas,
Fort Worth Star-Telegram,
10 Sep. 2025
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Unless the Heat releases Terry Rozier or purges some other salary in a trade, Miami would not have enough space to sign a 15th player to a standard contract — and remain under the luxury tax line — until December.—
Barry Jackson,
Miami Herald,
9 Sep. 2025
Verb
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Over a 10-month period, our editors—all with vastly different preferences for coverage, finish, and format—buffed and blended (and swept and stippled) their way through about 650 submissions.—
Sophia Panych,
Allure,
16 Sep. 2025
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Waves of trilobite extinctions swept the oceans, and an ancient planet better known for its explosion of life now saw the ambition of this frenzied new animal world periodically stifled under a high-CO2 hothouse.—
Peter Brannen,
Quanta Magazine,
15 Sep. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Decontaminate.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/decontaminate. Accessed 20 Sep. 2025.
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