All words

excavate

Meaning

To create a hole or hollow space in the ground or another surface by removing material from it.

Examples by difficulty

Basic: Simple, everyday vocabulary — the easiest to read.

They dug with all their might, trying to excavate a safe place. The dirt flew, and a hole began to grow, a hollow space made by removing earth, giving them a little cover from the storm.

The children were thrilled to excavate the buried treasure. Armed with small shovels, they eagerly dug into the soft dirt, creating a growing hollow space. Each scoop of earth removed brought them closer to the shiny prize they knew lay hidden beneath.

The children were frantic, desperate to find the buried box of sugary treats. They grabbed small trowels, eager to excavate the soft dirt, creating holes and hollows as they dug with all their might.

Bartholomew the badger decided to excavate a new home, digging a huge hole right under Farmer Giles' prize-winning pumpkin patch. Dirt flew everywhere! He wanted to excavate enough space for a trampoline and a snack bar, which Farmer Giles was not too happy about.

Barnaby the badger, a connoisseur of underground snacks, decided to excavate a cheesy puff from beneath the giant mushroom. With tiny claws, he dug and dug, making a surprisingly large hole, hoping his snack wasn't too far down.

Normal: Standard, everyday language.

The storm had washed away half the road. We had to excavate the slippery mud and rocks, digging a deep ditch to create a stable path for the vehicles to pass. It was slow, back-breaking work.

With trembling hands, she began to excavate the hardened, crystalline soil around the fallen drone. Every chip of the makeshift shovel felt like unearthing a forgotten secret, desperate to reveal whatever lay beneath the desolate red dust and twisted metal.

The ancient stonemason, desperate for a vein of rare obsidian, began to carefully excavate the crumbling cliff face. His chisel chipped away, bit by bit, creating a hollow space to reach the shimmering black rock hidden within.

Bartholomew the badger, a creature of unparalleled optimism and questionable hygiene, decided to excavate a new home. He’d heard rumors of a legendary stash of artisanal cheese underground and was determined to excavate every last crumb, even if it meant digging through Mrs. Higgins' prize-winning petunias.

My cat, Bartholomew, decided it was his solemn duty to excavate a new litter box out of the sofa. He'd push and scrabble with his paws, creating a surprisingly deep hollow in the upholstery. Apparently, he thought he was unearthing ancient treasures, or at least a particularly juicy dust bunny.

Advanced: Richer vocabulary that stretches an upper-level reader.

Heart pounding, the archaeologist carefully scraped away the dirt. They had to excavate the ancient site with precision, creating a hollow space to reveal the pottery shards beneath. Each delicate movement helped them understand the past.

The archeologists, weary but determined, began to excavate the dense, ancient soil. Their picks chipped away, creating a hollow space where a long-lost artifact might lie, each careful movement a testament to their hope.

The archaeologists worked with grim determination. They had to carefully excavate the strange, crystalline structure before the monsoon arrived, hoping to discover its origins and prevent its disintegration. Every shovelful removed was a risk, a step closer to an unknown truth buried deep within the earth.

Barnaby the badger, fueled by an insatiable craving for ancient cheese relics, began to excavate a cavernous burrow beneath Mrs. Higgins' prize-winning petunias. He aimed to excavate deep enough to reach the rumored Cheddar Grotto, a legendary hoard of forgotten dairy.

The determined badger, a creature of astonishing tenacity, began to excavate a grand subterranean ballroom for his ant colony's annual disco. With tiny, furious paws, he'd excavate, flinging dirt with the practiced abandon of a seasoned geologist, each scoop a testament to his commitment to the perfect foundation.

Challenging: Rare, high-register vocabulary for serious word lovers.

With a desperate urgency, the villagers began to excavate the hillside, their rudimentary tools scraping against stubborn earth. They had to find the lost water source before the arid season irrevocably depleted their meager stores. Each scoop of soil removed was a small victory against impending desolation.

The prospectors furiously began to excavate the compacted permafrost, their desperation mounting with each shovelful. They had followed the geologist's spectral analysis and were convinced that a significant deposit of iridium lay just beneath the frozen crust. Failure to unearth it before the spring thaw would mean ruin.

The seismic sensor readings were anomalous; the team had to excavate *precisely* to the subterranean anomaly, creating a deep, deliberate hollow in the petrified seabed to investigate the inexplicable seismic echo before it dissipated.

The eccentric archaeologist, convinced a legendary, petrified pickle lay beneath the duplicitous desert dunes, began to excavate with unbridled, almost manic, fervor. His colossal contraption, a veritable behemoth of gears and gratuitous ornamentation, whirred and groaned, its monstrous maw voraciously consuming sand, thereby creating a colossal cavity in the immutable earth, hoping to unearth that briny, bulgy bounty.

The ambitious arachnid paleontologist, Bartholomew, decided to excavate a surprisingly capacious burrow near the petrified remnants of a colossal, sentient turnip. His tiny, eight-legged appendages worked with frenetic, almost operatic, zeal, aiming to create a hollow space large enough to house his burgeoning collection of fossilized dewdrop specimens, a truly antediluvian pursuit.

Difficulty

Normal — Everyday words worth reinforcing.

Appears in

Play word games with excavate Take the 2 minute vocabulary size test