evacuate

verb

i-ˈva-kyə-ˌwāt How to pronounce evacuate (audio)
Definition of evacuatenext
as in to empty
to remove the contents of evacuate the cupboards completely before spraying the insecticide

Synonyms & Similar Words

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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 evacuate Leo, to whom Ukrainians have appealed for help, called for a local ceasefire to allow for civilians to be safely evacuated and aid to be delivered. — Barbie Latza Nadeau, CNN Money, 16 Oct. 2026 In addition, residents in the area were told to evacuate the area. — Steven Yablonski, CBS News, 16 Oct. 2026 After several minutes, firefighters evacuated the building and attacked the fire from the outside in a defensive posture. — Kansas City Star, 15 Oct. 2026 Bend police, the Deschutes County Sheriff’s Office, Redmond police, Oregon State Police and federal law enforcement partners evacuated the building room by room. — Stepheny Price , Bill Melugin, FOXNews.com, 15 Oct. 2026 See All Example Sentences for evacuate
Recent Examples of Synonyms for evacuate
  1. empty
  2. vacate
  3. clear
  4. clean
Verb
  • Cringe names our ethical recognition of the stakes of emptying out these words.
    — Eugenie Brinkema, ARTnews.com, 17 Oct. 2026
  • Rioters clashed with police, looted stores and set property on fire in central Milan on Saturday, emptying Piazza del Duomo and a luxury shopping arcade when the area would usually be teeming with shoppers.
    — ABC News, ABC News, 17 Oct. 2026
Definition of empty
Verb
  • After the school vacated the premises, the space was converted into a restaurant, and the mural was concealed behind wallboard.
    — Daniel Cassady, ARTnews.com, 13 Oct. 2026
  • That unique gallery purchased the building in 2018 for $3 million, but officials there didn’t begin planning its future in earnest until Cap City vacated its lease and closed in July 2025.
    — John Wenzel, Denver Post, 11 Oct. 2026
Definition of vacate
Verb
  • Martin Zummach, an attorney who represents the officer who fired the shot that killed Kohen, says the attorney general's findings cleared his client of criminal wrongdoing.
    — SOPHIE BATES, Arkansas Online, 20 Oct. 2026
  • During sleep, neurons go quiet, ROS are cleared, and damaged mitochondria are repaired or recycled.
    — Rowan Jacobsen, Scientific American, 20 Oct. 2026
Definition of clear
Verb
  • Combs paid inmates to clean and cook special meals for him, including curry chicken, pizza and empanadas, and that the hip-hop artist also received Chinese-style massages, four sources told NBC News.
    — Andrea Flores, Los Angeles Times, 17 Oct. 2026
  • My mom enrolled as a junior at Hollywood High School and took care of the house—cleaning, reheating frozen chicken pot pies, and making sure everyone did their homework.
    — Literary Hub, Literary Hub, 16 Oct. 2026
Definition of clean

Browse Nearby Words

euthanizing
evacuate
evacuated
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Cite this Entry

“Evacuate.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/evacuate. Accessed 21 Oct. 2026.

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