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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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 Contaminated Water Recreational or drinking water gets contaminated when septic tanks leak into wells, when an infected person vomits or defecates in the water, or when wastewater isn’t treated properly to decontaminate it. —
Emily Kay Votruba, EverydayHealth.com, 2 Dec. 2025 Radiation protection personnel allegedly responded to the incident quickly, pulling the worker from the water and decontaminating him safely. —Prabhat Ranjan Mishra, Interesting Engineering, 24 Oct. 2025 Workers have complained of chemical burns from the waste material generated by the tunneling process, and firefighters must decontaminate their equipment after conducting rescues from the project sites. —Anjeanette Damon, ProPublica, 10 Oct. 2025 Last week, a Democratic Congressional candidate was seen being thrown to the ground by a federal agent – the moment was captured on video – while local leaders reported having to leave the protest to decontaminate themselves after tear gas was deployed. —Dan Gooding, MSNBC Newsweek, 30 Sep. 2025 See All Example Sentences for decontaminate
Emily Kay Votruba, EverydayHealth.com, 2 Dec. 2025 Radiation protection personnel allegedly responded to the incident quickly, pulling the worker from the water and decontaminating him safely. —Prabhat Ranjan Mishra, Interesting Engineering, 24 Oct. 2025 Workers have complained of chemical burns from the waste material generated by the tunneling process, and firefighters must decontaminate their equipment after conducting rescues from the project sites. —Anjeanette Damon, ProPublica, 10 Oct. 2025 Last week, a Democratic Congressional candidate was seen being thrown to the ground by a federal agent – the moment was captured on video – while local leaders reported having to leave the protest to decontaminate themselves after tear gas was deployed. —Dan Gooding, MSNBC Newsweek, 30 Sep. 2025 See All Example Sentences for decontaminate
Recent Examples of Synonyms for decontaminate
Verb
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If something’s been messy or slow, take a few minutes to clean it up.— Tarot.com, Baltimore Sun, 18 Apr. 2026
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Nazarian said the property owner will be billed for clearing and cleaning the lot.— Ruben Vives, Los Angeles Times, 17 Apr. 2026
Verb
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Other players use wet towels or even lick their hands and wipe the bottom of their shoes to get more grip.— Max Scheinblum, Denver Post, 17 Apr. 2026
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That’s the only way to live and survive, and to prove that you can’t be defeated, because Israelis will still tell you that they are surrounded by enemies who want to wipe them off the face of the earth.— Isaac Chotiner, New Yorker, 15 Apr. 2026
Verb
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One or more of the agencies compiling these lists — the Illinois State Board of Elections, the Secretary of State, and the Illinois Department of Employment Security, evidently is not purging dead people from its lists, Mertes said.— Robert McCoppin, Chicago Tribune, 20 Apr. 2026
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Stay Physically Active A morning walk can help trigger bowel movements, as the body naturally releases hormones that help purge toxins.— Sherri Gordon, Health, 16 Apr. 2026
Verb
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Ian Fernandes tallied 12 kills and four digs, while Brady Kundel had 10 kills, four aces and five digs as Barnstable (9-0) swept Brockton 3-0 in a nonleague match.— Tyler McManus, Boston Herald, 18 Apr. 2026
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Apparent tornadoes touched down in the Midwest on Friday and a weekend flooding risk remains as roller-coaster weather sweeps the country, with some states experiencing summer-like temperatures in the middle of spring.— Marlene Lenthang, NBC news, 17 Apr. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Decontaminate.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.grautoblog.com/thesaurus/decontaminate. Accessed 23 Apr. 2026.
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