as in digging
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 excavating
Instead of adding external chemicals or excavating polluted layers, the soil itself becomes a dynamic system capable of regenerating its quality over time.
—
Aamir Khollam, Interesting Engineering, 24 Oct. 2025
Archaeologists plan to continue analyzing these artifacts and excavating the area around the ancient basin.
—Aspen Pflughoeft, Kansas City Star, 17 Oct. 2025
The artifacts were found by archaeologists excavating the Troy archaeological site, located in northwestern Turkey.
—Andrea Margolis, FOXNews.com, 16 Oct. 2025
Pettigrew said the team will use drones, sonar and magnetometers to examine the site before probing the sediment and eventually excavating it using a hydraulic dredge.
—Jesus Mesa, MSNBC Newsweek, 8 Oct. 2025
These connections raise the possibility that people were following camels across the desert on winter migrations, says archaeologist and study co-author Ceri Shipton, who was excavating the site, known as Jebel Misma, when his team spotted a spectacular caravan of camel carvings on May 14, 2023.
—Martin J. Kernan, Scientific American, 30 Sep. 2025
Writing is an iceberg sort of art form where only 10% of the work ends up on the page; the other 90% includes excavating each character’s backstory.
—Literary Hub, 26 Sep. 2025
But figuring out what’s excavating without your permission isn’t straightforward.
—Arricca Elin Sansone, Southern Living, 21 Sep. 2025
In the late 1940s, Soviet archaeologists began excavating the Royal Palace at Sanjar-Shar.
—Sarah Durn, Popular Science, 17 Sep. 2025
Aamir Khollam, Interesting Engineering, 24 Oct. 2025
Archaeologists plan to continue analyzing these artifacts and excavating the area around the ancient basin.
—Aspen Pflughoeft, Kansas City Star, 17 Oct. 2025
The artifacts were found by archaeologists excavating the Troy archaeological site, located in northwestern Turkey.
—Andrea Margolis, FOXNews.com, 16 Oct. 2025
Pettigrew said the team will use drones, sonar and magnetometers to examine the site before probing the sediment and eventually excavating it using a hydraulic dredge.
—Jesus Mesa, MSNBC Newsweek, 8 Oct. 2025
These connections raise the possibility that people were following camels across the desert on winter migrations, says archaeologist and study co-author Ceri Shipton, who was excavating the site, known as Jebel Misma, when his team spotted a spectacular caravan of camel carvings on May 14, 2023.
—Martin J. Kernan, Scientific American, 30 Sep. 2025
Writing is an iceberg sort of art form where only 10% of the work ends up on the page; the other 90% includes excavating each character’s backstory.
—Literary Hub, 26 Sep. 2025
But figuring out what’s excavating without your permission isn’t straightforward.
—Arricca Elin Sansone, Southern Living, 21 Sep. 2025
In the late 1940s, Soviet archaeologists began excavating the Royal Palace at Sanjar-Shar.
—Sarah Durn, Popular Science, 17 Sep. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for excavating
digging
Verb
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Nelson may have guessed correctly on the president digging his heels into tariffs seven years on from his first term, but the taxes may not be around for much longer.—
Sasha Rogelberg,
Fortune,
23 Oct. 2025
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When digging, be careful not to cut through the tubers or bruise the spuds with rough handling.—
Lauren Landers,
Better Homes & Gardens,
20 Oct. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Excavating.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/excavating. Accessed 30 Oct. 2025.
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