excavated

past tense of excavate
as in dug
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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Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Recent Examples of excavated City is made from clay, sand, and rock, all excavated from the innards of the site and reshaped. Lara Johnson-Wheeler, Vogue, 3 July 2026 Steam shovels and draglines excavated the foundations for highways and railroads. Malika Bowling, USA Today, 3 July 2026 The crash site was forest in 1944, but it was later excavated for rice cultivation, Fong told Jackson. Kocha Olarn, CNN Money, 1 July 2026 While Freddy was in Boston mourning Germany’s defeat, online sleuths excavated the least-savory tidbits from his X posting history. Will Oremus, The Atlantic, 1 July 2026 The 660-plus scrolls stayed buried under volcanic mud until they were excavated in the 1700s from a single room that archaeologists believe held the personal working library of an Epicurean philosopher named Philodemus. ArsTechnica, 30 June 2026 Museum of Miami The Museum of Miami, formerly HistoryMiami, holds the relics and artifacts that were excavated at the Miami Circle. Andres Viglucci, Miami Herald, 30 June 2026 Officials noted that it will be excavated through the narrowest part of the peninsula, connecting Moldefjord and Kjødepollen in the Vanylvsfjord region. Georgina Jedikovska, Interesting Engineering, 19 June 2026 In 2021, the Center for Community Archaeology excavated the remains of one of these roads. Amelia Soth, JSTOR Daily, 18 June 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for excavated
dug
Verb
  • Each of the nine San Diego batters got his chance against Sasaki in the second, and the team quickly dug the Dodgers into a six-run hole.
    Liana Handler Follow, Los Angeles Times, 3 July 2026
  • Allin responds by saying that if that's what Knight wants, he's dug his own grave.
    Rob Wolkenbrod, Forbes.com, 2 July 2026

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“Excavated.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/excavated. Accessed 7 Jul. 2026.

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