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
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
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In North America, the daily task of cleaning oneself is like a form of labor.—
Anna Haines,
Vogue,
9 Apr. 2025
-
Change the dressing once a day, ideally after cleaning the area.—
Alisa Hrustic,
SELF,
9 Apr. 2025
Verb
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Pleather couches can be wiped with disinfectants occasionally.—
Matt Fuchs,
Time,
21 Apr. 2025
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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
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The ceremony, which attracted a mix of comedy stars and arts-adjacent members of D.C.’s beau monde, was the biggest event held by the center since February, when President Trump purged eighteen members of the nonpartisan board of directors and installed himself as chairman.—
Katy Waldman,
New Yorker,
8 Apr. 2025
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The Defense Department buckled down on its goals to continue purging DEI material even after the webpages were removed.—
Cheyanne M. Daniels,
The Hill,
5 Apr. 2025
Verb
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JPMorgan economists recently raised their forecast for a U.S. and global recession to 60 percent, up from 40 percent following President Donald Trump's imposition of sweeping tariffs on dozens of countries, including 104 percent tariffs on Chinese imports.—
Hannah Parry,
MSNBC Newsweek,
10 Apr. 2025
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The spike in the three major stock indexes erased much of the losses suffered in the aftermath of sweeping new tariffs issued by Trump a week ago.—
David Brennan,
ABC News,
9 Apr. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Decontaminate.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/decontaminate. Accessed 24 Apr. 2025.
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