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.
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
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 decontaminate
They’re required to decontaminate all equipment and wear full protective suits with a special kind of respirator.
—
Nick Rosenberger, Idaho Statesman, 4 Jan. 2025
In all, 42,000 square meters of stonework were cleaned and decontaminated — an area equivalent to roughly six soccer pitches.
—Thomas Adamson and John Leicester, Los Angeles Times, 29 Nov. 2024
Washdown systems are a countermeasure commonly found on surface warships, which use sprinklers to decontaminate hazards such as radioactive fallout or chemicals.
—Thomas G. Moukawsher, Newsweek, 6 Nov. 2024
Some residents are allowed to visit their homes but can’t move back there while thousands of workers remove topsoil, branches, and other materials to decontaminate these areas.
—Amanda Kennell, Discover Magazine, 19 Oct. 2024
See All Example Sentences for decontaminate
Nick Rosenberger, Idaho Statesman, 4 Jan. 2025
In all, 42,000 square meters of stonework were cleaned and decontaminated — an area equivalent to roughly six soccer pitches.
—Thomas Adamson and John Leicester, Los Angeles Times, 29 Nov. 2024
Washdown systems are a countermeasure commonly found on surface warships, which use sprinklers to decontaminate hazards such as radioactive fallout or chemicals.
—Thomas G. Moukawsher, Newsweek, 6 Nov. 2024
Some residents are allowed to visit their homes but can’t move back there while thousands of workers remove topsoil, branches, and other materials to decontaminate these areas.
—Amanda Kennell, Discover Magazine, 19 Oct. 2024
See All Example Sentences for decontaminate
Recent Examples of Synonyms for decontaminate
Verb
-
Outdoor water containers that should be cleaned include bird baths and pet dishes.—
Caelyn Pender,
Mercury News,
25 Apr. 2025
-
Affleck’s Christian Wolff is a monotone bean counter who used to help criminal organizations launder money and clean their books.—
Jake Coyle,
Twin Cities,
24 Apr. 2025
Verb
-
Pleather couches can be wiped with disinfectants occasionally.—
Matt Fuchs,
Time,
21 Apr. 2025
-
To use them, spray your favorite glass cleaner onto the surface, then wipe in circular motions with a coffee filter.—
Amy Brightfield,
Better Homes & Gardens,
17 Apr. 2025
Verb
-
Lynch also expressed gratitude for so many players showing up, a month after the 49ers purged their roster with nearly 20 players landing on teams elsewhere.—
Cam Inman,
Mercury News,
22 Apr. 2025
-
Trump has made colleges and universities a prime target of his second administration, going after their federal funding, seeking to purge diversity programs and seeking to deport an unknown number of international students.—
Lexi Lonas Cochran,
The Hill,
18 Apr. 2025
Verb
-
Interest in the case has swept the country since then, spurring an array of true crime podcasts, movies and television shows.—
Michael Loria,
USA Today,
25 Apr. 2025
-
That includes an East Suburban Catholic Conference series split with state powerhouse Nazareth and a tough two-game ESCC sweep over Benet by scores of 2-1 and 5-3.—
Jeff Vorva,
Chicago Tribune,
25 Apr. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Decontaminate.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/decontaminate. Accessed 30 Apr. 2025.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
Share