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
Further clearing continued throughout the 19th century, and the statue was fully excavated — exposing its paws and surrounding temple — by Émile Baraize between 1925 and 1936.
—
Ryan Brennan
april 1, Kansas City Star, 1 Apr. 2026
Hawass noted the area has been extensively studied and excavated for decades without finding anything resembling a second monument.
—Ryan Brennan
april 1, Sacbee.com, 1 Apr. 2026
Hawass noted the area has been extensively studied and excavated for decades without anyone finding anything resembling a second monument.
—Ryan Brennan
april 1, Miami Herald, 1 Apr. 2026
The Pentagon is reportedly preparing for weeks of ground operations inside Iran, according to the Wall Street Journal, including a potentially devastating and dangerous mission to excavate uranium from the country.
—Eva Roytburg, Fortune, 30 Mar. 2026
See All Example Sentences for excavate
Ryan Brennan
april 1, Kansas City Star, 1 Apr. 2026
Hawass noted the area has been extensively studied and excavated for decades without finding anything resembling a second monument.
—Ryan Brennan
april 1, Sacbee.com, 1 Apr. 2026
Hawass noted the area has been extensively studied and excavated for decades without anyone finding anything resembling a second monument.
—Ryan Brennan
april 1, Miami Herald, 1 Apr. 2026
The Pentagon is reportedly preparing for weeks of ground operations inside Iran, according to the Wall Street Journal, including a potentially devastating and dangerous mission to excavate uranium from the country.
—Eva Roytburg, Fortune, 30 Mar. 2026
See All Example Sentences for excavate
Recent Examples of Synonyms for excavate
Verb
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Violators could be charged with a misdemeanor if they're caught excavating, digging or altering the land along the parkway.—
James Taylor,
CBS News,
31 Mar. 2026
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Ashcraft tapped out before being ordered to dig a grave, get inside a body bag, and consider his eulogy as instructors piled dirt on top of him.—
Charles Bethea,
New Yorker,
30 Mar. 2026
Verb
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Multiple politicians from several countries are shoveling propaganda at an electorate in order to build terror of an enemy that doesn’t exist at all.—
Anne Applebaum,
The Atlantic,
27 Mar. 2026
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Others volunteered to shovel the family’s walk.—
Laura Bauer,
Kansas City Star,
26 Mar. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Excavate.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/excavate. Accessed 7 Apr. 2026.
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