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.
was excavating
-
past progressiveof excavate.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.
He said Butyagin had ensured conservation and preservation of the site he was excavating.
From BBC ● Dec. 25, 2025
Prosecutors say the violations occurred as the company was excavating and making repairs to a pipeline that runs from the coast to Kern County.
From Los Angeles Times ● Sep. 19, 2025
At the same time, team member Keneiloe Molopyane of the University of the Witwatersrand, who was excavating another part of the cave system known as the Dragon’s Back, found a hearth.
From Scientific American ● Jun. 5, 2023
The museum bought the “Cleveland Krishna” from the estate of the granddaughter of the 1920 purchasers; among the challenges of then restoring the statue was excavating abandoned parts of it from a garden in Brussels.
From Washington Post ● Jun. 7, 2022
At 9:00 a.m., when I reached the Camp One site, Ang Dorje,* our climbing sirdar,t was excavating platforms for our tents in the hard-frozen snow slope.
From "Into Thin Air" by Jon Krakauer
