evacuate

verb

evacuated; evacuating
Synonyms of evacuate

transitive verb

1
: to remove the contents of : empty
2
: to discharge from the body as waste : void
3
: to remove something (such as gas or water) from especially by pumping
4
a
: to remove especially from a military zone or dangerous area
b
: to withdraw from military occupation of
c
: vacate sense 1
were ordered to evacuate the building

intransitive verb

1
: to withdraw from a place in an organized way especially for protection
2
: to pass urine or feces from the body

Examples of evacuate in a Sentence

People who live along the coast are being evacuated as the hurricane approaches. During World War II, children were evacuated from London to the country. Residents were ordered to evacuate the building. Residents have been ordered to evacuate.
Recent Examples on the Web
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Families living on the first and second floors have both been evacuated. Christina Fan, CBS News, 12 Aug. 2026 The tremor was felt strongly in the nation’s capital, with alarms sounding and people evacuating to the streets as a precaution. Sana Noor Haq, CNN Money, 11 Aug. 2026 This led to a number of people and businesses, including the 5-star hotel, Alila Ventana Big Sur, being ordered to evacuate from the region, according to the Monterey County Sheriff's Office. Noe Padilla, USA Today, 11 Aug. 2026 Four crew members were killed, three Pakistanis and one Indonesian, and two rescuers were killed in a follow-up strike while evacuating the crew, according to the Yemeni Coast Guard. Brady Knox, The Washington Examiner, 11 Aug. 2026 See All Example Sentences for evacuate

Word History

Etymology

Middle English, to draw off morbid humors, from Latin evacuatus, past participle of evacuare to empty, from e- + vacuus empty

First Known Use

15th century, in the meaning defined at transitive sense 1

Time Traveler
The first known use of evacuate was in the 15th century

Browse Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Evacuate.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/evacuate. Accessed 13 Aug. 2026.

Kids Definition

evacuated; evacuating
1
: to make empty
2
: to discharge waste matter from the body
3
: to remove something (as a gas) from especially by pumping
4
a
: to remove troops or people from a place of danger
b
: vacate
evacuate the building
evacuation
-ˌvak-yə-ˈwā-shən
noun

Medical Definition

evacuated; evacuating

transitive verb

1
: to remove the contents of
evacuate an abscess
2
: to discharge (as urine or feces) from the body as waste : void

intransitive verb

: to pass urine or feces from the body

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