as in to clean
to remove dirty or dangerous substances (such as radioactive material) from (a person, thing, place, etc.)
Special workers were called in to decontaminate the area after the oil spill.
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Recent Examples of decontaminate
Staff put the man in restraints and took him away to decontaminate.
—
Caitlin McGlade, Charlotte Observer, 11 May 2026
Vacuum only after the area is thoroughly decontaminated.
—Tom Gavin, EverydayHealth.com, 5 May 2026
Sergei Skripal’s home, the area surrounding the bench where the pair was found, the home of a detective who fell ill, and two ambulance stations had to be decontaminated, along with the restaurant and pub.
—Nick Tabor, Encyclopedia Britannica, 29 Apr. 2026
Among our responsibilities was decontaminating people and equipment after exposure to hazardous materials.
—Jennifer N. Pritzker, Chicago Tribune, 22 Mar. 2026
See All Example Sentences for decontaminate
Caitlin McGlade, Charlotte Observer, 11 May 2026
Vacuum only after the area is thoroughly decontaminated.
—Tom Gavin, EverydayHealth.com, 5 May 2026
Sergei Skripal’s home, the area surrounding the bench where the pair was found, the home of a detective who fell ill, and two ambulance stations had to be decontaminated, along with the restaurant and pub.
—Nick Tabor, Encyclopedia Britannica, 29 Apr. 2026
Among our responsibilities was decontaminating people and equipment after exposure to hazardous materials.
—Jennifer N. Pritzker, Chicago Tribune, 22 Mar. 2026
See All Example Sentences for decontaminate
Recent Examples of Synonyms for decontaminate
Verb
-
Best Premium Vacuum Another one of our go-to wet-dry vacs, this one is designed with smart technology like the LED display and RGB Dirt Detection to measure dirt levels and adjust cleaning accordingly.—
Blake Bakkila,
Architectural Digest,
12 June 2026
-
Soler said some of her neighbors bedridden and caregivers are forced to use towels and wet wipes to clean them.—
ABC News,
ABC News,
12 June 2026
Verb
-
Sometimes, people will wipe their hands down using these, but in reality, that's what hand sanitizer is for.—
Sarah Lyon,
The Spruce,
14 June 2026
-
Then gently wipe it away with a soft cloth.—
Jessica Safavimehr,
Southern Living,
12 June 2026
Verb
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At various points during his interview with Sobchak, Dugin called the sport of surfing evil and said that its practitioners should be purged.—
Simon Shuster,
The Atlantic,
6 June 2026
-
The idea that dogs graze to purge a sick stomach is one of the explanations owners reach for most.—
Niranjana Rajalakshmi,
Popular Science,
4 June 2026
Verb
-
Flash flooding currents are strong and can sweep drivers off roadways.—
NC Weather Bot,
Charlotte Observer,
13 June 2026
-
McKyla Van Der Westhuizen became Rice’s first NCAA champion since Jason Colwick swept the men’s pole vault in 2009 and the first women’s champion since Allison Beckford won the indoor 400 meters in 2002.—
ABC News,
ABC News,
12 June 2026
Cite this Entry
“Decontaminate.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/decontaminate. Accessed 16 Jun. 2026.
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