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
In 2022, researchers returned and excavated a 249-square-foot area.
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Sarah Kuta, Smithsonian Magazine, 2 Dec. 2024
In the 1870s, the German archaeologist Ernst Curtius excavated the town where the ancient games took place, bringing them to the popular consciousness.
—Miriam Kamil, JSTOR Daily, 20 Nov. 2024
Eventually, there are revelations about the atrocities at Nickel; the grounds are excavated, and human remains discovered.
—Richard Brody, The New Yorker, 6 Dec. 2024
The research team discovered the first of the fossilized footprints in 2021 and the surface containing them was then excavated the following year, revealing the full extent of the tracks.
—Yaakov Katz, Newsweek, 28 Nov. 2024
See all Example Sentences for excavate 
Sarah Kuta, Smithsonian Magazine, 2 Dec. 2024
In the 1870s, the German archaeologist Ernst Curtius excavated the town where the ancient games took place, bringing them to the popular consciousness.
—Miriam Kamil, JSTOR Daily, 20 Nov. 2024
Eventually, there are revelations about the atrocities at Nickel; the grounds are excavated, and human remains discovered.
—Richard Brody, The New Yorker, 6 Dec. 2024
The research team discovered the first of the fossilized footprints in 2021 and the surface containing them was then excavated the following year, revealing the full extent of the tracks.
—Yaakov Katz, Newsweek, 28 Nov. 2024
See all Example Sentences for excavate
Thesaurus Entries Near excavate
Cite this Entry
“Excavate.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/excavate. Accessed 31 Dec. 2024.
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