excavating

present participle of excavate
as in digging
to hollow out or form (something) by removing earth workmen are excavating a long tunnel that will eventually replace the aboveground expressway

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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.
Recent Examples of excavating Never being satisfied with continuing to try and get deeper and deeper to who this individual is at their core, just constantly excavating. Mike Ryan, IndieWire, 13 Aug. 2026 Years spent researching Kelly has spent years researching, roaming and excavating the former Multnomah Plantation, established in 1854, in Kansas City near Liberty after discovering the story of Dougherty’s home decades ago. Jenna Ebbers, Kansas City Star, 12 Aug. 2026 Gray has spent much of his career excavating the particular anxieties of New York families trying to climb a few rungs higher in society. Sophie Miller, Rolling Stone, 10 Aug. 2026 The roughly six-mile-wide (10-kilometer-wide) asteroid struck Mexico's Yucatán Peninsula, excavating the Chicxulub crater and vaporizing enormous quantities of rock. Stefanie Waldek, Space.com, 1 Aug. 2026 The team tried excavating another unknown soldier from an unrelated case just a day before, but were unsuccessful. Hope McKenney, NPR, 1 Aug. 2026 When not excavating and eating Rosenthal’s bread and cheese, the men rehearse for a musical comedy performance featuring a chorus line of men in drag. Thomas Doherty, HollywoodReporter, 18 July 2026 Construction workers are currently restoring and building rail links between Oxford and Cambridge, and as part of that work, archaeologists are excavating trenches across southern England. Andrea Margolis, FOXNews.com, 17 July 2026 Rather than excavating the find himself, Wiśniewski reported it to heritage officials, who recovered the artifact using professional archaeological methods. Ashley Vega, PEOPLE, 16 July 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for excavating
digging
Verb
  • So while the company’s investigation may be over, the government and overseas colleagues appear to still be digging.
    Amanda Gerut, Fortune, 20 Aug. 2026
  • Now, director Rory Kennedy is digging even deeper into the story.
    CT Jones, Rolling Stone, 20 Aug. 2026

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“Excavating.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/excavating. Accessed 23 Aug. 2026.

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