evacuate
verb (used with object)
to leave empty; vacate.
was evacuating
-
past progressiveof evacuate.past progressive
Used to describe an ongoing action or continuous state that was happening at a specific time in the past.
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.
Peyton Maxwell, 23, got an alert on her Blink camera last week as she was evacuating and watched the wildfire approach her house in the Indian Trails neighborhood.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 10, 2026
Qatar said Thursday it was evacuating residents living near the US embassy in the capital Doha, after earlier announcing it had thwarted attacks on Hamad International Airport.
From Barron's ● Mar. 5, 2026
She was safe in her home, Mid-City, but the pictures had come from the secretary of Palisades Lutheran Church, who was evacuating.
From Los Angeles Times ● Feb. 22, 2025
But when I got a text from a neighbour to say she saw Palisades High School on fire as she was evacuating, I knew that the fire was spreading further than anyone could have predicted.
From BBC ● Jan. 10, 2025
The airlock thought it was evacuating itself, but it was actually evacuating the whole trailer.
From "The Martian" by Andy Weir
