as in cleaning
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 decontaminating
Among our responsibilities was decontaminating people and equipment after exposure to hazardous materials.
—
Jennifer N. Pritzker, Chicago Tribune, 22 Mar. 2026
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
Jennifer N. Pritzker, Chicago Tribune, 22 Mar. 2026
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
Recent Examples of Synonyms for decontaminating
Verb
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The great-great-grandson of Frank Zamboni, the inventor of his namesake ice-cleaning vehicle, attended his first postseason game since the Comeback on Katella, a Ducks double-overtime victory over Edmonton in the second round in 2017.—
Todd Harmonson,
Oc Register,
25 Apr. 2026
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However, Steve Evans, owner of Memphis Maids, extolls the virtues of regularly cleaning above and around your cabinetry.—
Louise Parks,
Martha Stewart,
25 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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While purging senior military leaders, Xi has grown and modernized China’s army, navy, and air force; improved its cyberwarfare; and upgraded its nuclear arsenal.—
Michael Sheridan,
Vanity Fair,
8 Apr. 2026
Verb
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The numbers also highlight how Safonov is making cross claims or sweeping outside his box more than twice the rate Chevalier is, although the Frenchman is more adept with his feet, playing more passes, completing a higher rate.—
Tom Burrows,
New York Times,
27 Apr. 2026
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The fire consumed the home before sweeping down the hill to devastate the next neighborhood.—
Stefano Pozzebon,
CNN Money,
26 Apr. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Decontaminating.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/decontaminating. Accessed 2 May. 2026.
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