EXCAVATE Synonyms: 14 Similar and Opposite Words

excavate

verb

ˈek-skə-ˌvāt

Definition of excavate

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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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 excavate But the archaeologists who excavated the new skeletal fragments from Shanidar Cave in the Kurdistan region of Iraq say the fossils weave a complex tale of Neanderthal life and death, beyond what appeared to be deliberate violence. — Katie Hunt, CNN Money, 15 Oct. 2026 The current trend of excavating video game nostalgia continues with this latest cinematic adaptation of the popular franchise that dates all the way back to 1987. — Frank Scheck, HollywoodReporter, 15 Oct. 2026 Named after the Montana rancher who found it, Jodi Pierson, the skeleton was excavated at the Hell Creek Formation in 2019, and is estimated to be about 55 percent complete. — Andrew Paul, Popular Science, 15 Oct. 2026 John Henry, one of the most famous characters in American folklore, was in fact a Black man who died while part of a prison work gang excavating a railway tunnel in western Virginia in the early 1870s. — Matthew Adams, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 14 Oct. 2026 See All Example Sentences for excavate

Recent Examples of Synonyms for excavate

Verb

That isn’t unusual for someone who draws and paints every day — but this latest dirt is real, dug from the ground in Yorkshire and Warwickshire, England, and used as the medium for her drawings of trees and landscapes.

— Samantha Conti, Footwear News, 24 Oct. 2026
And writer Faran Krentcil digs through her dating and designer past to find out whether a partner’s dislike of your fashion sense means the relationship is doomed from the start.

— InStyle, InStyle, 24 Oct. 2026

Definition of dig

Verb

Renminbi’s place in global central-bank reserve coffers has actually fallen since 2022, despite Beijing shoveling its currency into developing economies through central-bank swap lines.

— Liz Hoffman, semafor.com, 7 Oct. 2026
But earlier this year, the Navy reservist and his friend shoveled a six-carat diamond from a field in Arkansas where he's found over 300 gems so far.

— LAURA TURBAY, ABC News, 2 Oct. 2026

Definition of shovel

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exasperations

excavate

excavated

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“Excavate.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/excavate. Accessed 29 Oct. 2026.

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Synonyms of excavate

verb

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