excavate
verb (used with object)
to make hollow by removing the inner part; make a hole or cavity in; form into a hollow, as by digging.
has been excavating
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present perfect progressiveof excavate (3rd person singular).present perfect progressive
Used to describe an action that began in the past, has continued continuously, and is still in progress.
Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
The mission has been excavating in the area since 2018.
From Reuters ● May 30, 2022
Geologist Elizabeth Turner discovered the rocks in a remote region of the Northwest Territories accessible only by helicopter, where she has been excavating since the 1980s.
From Seattle Times ● Jul. 28, 2021
Since 2012, a team led by Ciprian Ardelean at the Autonomous University of Zacatecas in Mexico has been excavating Chiquihuite Cave, which is 2,740 metres above sea level in the country’s Astillero Mountains.
From Nature ● Jul. 21, 2020
A young nonprofit run by the architect Stephen Byrns has been excavating wonders from the undergrowth, including rocky water cascades, crisscrossing canals, ancient stone pillars and a domed Temple of Love.
From New York Times ● Mar. 12, 2020
Count d'Hulst has been excavating at Behbet, near Mansourah, on behalf of the Egypt Exploration Fund.
From The American Journal of Archaeology, 1893-1 by Various
