decontaminate
verb
de·con·tam·i·nate
ˌdē-kən-ˈta-mə-ˌnāt 
decontaminated; decontaminating; decontaminates
: to rid of contamination (such as radioactive material)
Examples of decontaminate in a Sentence
Special workers were called in to decontaminate the area after the oil spill.
Recent Examples on the Web
On a hot summer day in Oak Ridge, Tennessee, dozens of men removed pipes, asbestos and hazardous waste while working to decontaminate a nuclear facility and prepare it for demolition.
—
Cathy Bussewitz, The Denver Post, 7 Sep. 2024
The investigation comes a week after Beijing News reported that companies where using tankers to transport fuel and cooking oil without properly decontaminating the tankers between trips in order to save money.
—Bruce Gil, Quartz, 11 July 2024
The patients consisted of local nursing school students who were acting out their symptoms, including one screaming for their daughter, and several dummies, a few inflated that workers had to decontaminate.
—Nhat V. Meyer, The Mercury News, 16 May 2024
The state also requires any boat be decontaminated when moving between waters to try and prevent spreading invasive species.
Both Michigan and Wisconsin killed bills that aimed to pass broad wake surfing regulations.
—Christine Peterson, Outdoor Life, 20 June 2024
See all Example Sentences for decontaminate 
Cathy Bussewitz, The Denver Post, 7 Sep. 2024
The investigation comes a week after Beijing News reported that companies where using tankers to transport fuel and cooking oil without properly decontaminating the tankers between trips in order to save money.
—Bruce Gil, Quartz, 11 July 2024
The patients consisted of local nursing school students who were acting out their symptoms, including one screaming for their daughter, and several dummies, a few inflated that workers had to decontaminate.
—Nhat V. Meyer, The Mercury News, 16 May 2024
The state also requires any boat be decontaminated when moving between waters to try and prevent spreading invasive species.
Both Michigan and Wisconsin killed bills that aimed to pass broad wake surfing regulations.
—Christine Peterson, Outdoor Life, 20 June 2024
See all Example Sentences for decontaminate
These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'decontaminate.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.
Dictionary Entries Near decontaminate
Cite this Entry
“Decontaminate.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/decontaminate. Accessed 4 Nov. 2024.
Copy CitationKids Definition
decontaminate
verb
de·con·tam·i·nate
ˌdē-kən-ˈtam-ə-ˌnāt
: to rid of something (as radioactive material) that contaminates
Medical Definition
decontaminate
transitive verb
de·con·tam·i·nate
ˌdē-kən-ˈtam-ə-ˌnāt
decontaminated; decontaminating
: to rid of contamination (as radioactive material)
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