excavate
Remove from ground
To excavate is to dig out and remove material from the ground, creating a hole, trench, or cavity.
The word often implies systematic, purposeful digging: construction crews excavate foundations, archaeologists excavate ancient sites.
By extension, to excavate information is to uncover it through careful investigation: Researchers excavated details about her early life from old letters.
Tool for moving earth
- spadeFlat-bladed digging implement
- trowelFlat blade for spreading
- pickaxePointed digging implement
- mattockTwo-bladed digging implement
backhoe · bucket · scoop · auger · jackhammer · digger · rake · sieve
Human-made historical object
- trowelFlat blade for spreading
- stratigraphyStudy of rock layers
- potsherdFragment of earthenware
- siteDesignated location
tomb · ruins · temple · pyramid · sphinx · mummy · burial · grid
Valued wealth or keepsake
- fossilPreserved ancient organism
- artifactHuman-made historical object
- skeletonInternal supportive framework
- dinosaurExtinct Mesozoic reptile
ruins · remains · burial · bones · inscription · sarcophagus · ancient · prehistoric
Fruit's hard seed
- trenchLong narrow excavation
- holeAbsence in matter
- channelPassage for transmission
- craterImpact or volcanic basin
depression · basin · ditch · furrow · groove · trough · cutting · void
Narrow vertical passage
- oreMetal-bearing rock
- quarryPit for extracting rock
- tunnelEnclosed underground route
- blastingExplosive material removal
drilling · coal · gold · copper · silver · vein · prospecting · pickaxe
Bladed vehicle pushing earth
- backhoeHinged-arm excavating machine
- trenchLong narrow excavation
- foundationUnderlying support structure
- gradingAssigning marks to work
earthwork · demolition · site · infrastructure · tunneling · dredging · piling · earthmover
shovel
Tool for moving earth
mattock · backhoe · bucket · scoop · auger · jackhammer · digger · rake · sieve · wheelbarrow
artifact
Human-made historical object
- trowelFlat blade for spreading
- stratigraphyStudy of rock layers
- potsherdFragment of earthenware
site · tomb · ruins · temple · pyramid · sphinx · mummy · burial · grid · brushwork
treasure
Valued wealth or keepsake
- fossilPreserved ancient organism
- artifactHuman-made historical object
- skeletonInternal supportive framework
dinosaur · ruins · remains · burial · bones · inscription · sarcophagus · ancient · prehistoric · find
pit
Fruit's hard seed
crater · depression · basin · ditch · furrow · groove · trough · cutting · void · chamber
shaft
Narrow vertical passage
blasting · drilling · coal · gold · copper · silver · vein · prospecting · pickaxe · dynamite
bulldozer
Bladed vehicle pushing earth
- backhoeHinged-arm excavating machine
- trenchLong narrow excavation
- foundationUnderlying support structure
grading · earthwork · demolition · site · infrastructure · tunneling · dredging · piling · earthmover · crane
- building verbsbuild, construct, erect, demolish, renovate
- remove materialdig, scoop, carve, gut, core
- revealreveal, disclose, expose, unmask, unveil
- dig outunearth, burrow, tunnel, shovel, scoop
- DIG synonymsburrow, unearth, scoop, drill, trench
- root outroot out, flush out, ferret out, smoke out, weed out
- archaeological excavationSystematic unearthing of artifacts
- excavation siteLocation of systematic unearthing
- mini excavatorSmall hydraulic digging machine
- fossil excavationRecovering preserved ancient organisms
- excavation equipmentMachines for digging ground
- deep excavation
excavation, excavator, excavated, excavating, excavates, excavators, excavations, unexcavated