evacuate
verb
evac·u·ate
i-ˈva-kyə-ˌwāt 
-kyü-ˌāt
evacuated; evacuating
1
: to remove the contents of : empty
2
: to discharge from the body as waste : void
3
: to remove something (such as gas or water) from especially by pumping
4
a
: to remove especially from a military zone or dangerous area
b
: to withdraw from military occupation of
c
: vacate sense 1
were ordered to evacuate the building
1
: to withdraw from a place in an organized way especially for protection
2
: to pass urine or feces from the body
Examples of evacuate in a Sentence
People who live along the coast are being evacuated as the hurricane approaches.
During World War II, children were evacuated from London to the country.
Residents were ordered to evacuate the building.
Residents have been ordered to evacuate.
Recent Examples on the Web
Puckett issued a command to leave him behind and evacuate the area.
—
John Parkinson, ABC News, 29 Apr. 2024
Editors’ Picks The Israeli military has already started calling up reserve soldiers for a potential Rafah operation, and an Israeli official said its military could start evacuating civilians by the end of the month.
—Edward Wong, New York Times, 28 Apr. 2024
See all Example Sentences for evacuate 
John Parkinson, ABC News, 29 Apr. 2024
Editors’ Picks The Israeli military has already started calling up reserve soldiers for a potential Rafah operation, and an Israeli official said its military could start evacuating civilians by the end of the month.
—Edward Wong, New York Times, 28 Apr. 2024
See all Example Sentences for evacuate
These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'evacuate.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.
Dictionary Entries Near evacuate
Cite this Entry
“Evacuate.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/evacuate. Accessed 4 May. 2024.
Copy CitationKids Definition
evacuate
verb
evac·u·ate
i-ˈvak-yə-ˌwāt
evacuated; evacuating
1
: to make empty
2
: to discharge waste matter from the body
3
: to remove something (as a gas) from especially by pumping
4
a
: to remove troops or people from a place of danger
b
: vacate
evacuate the building
evacuation
noun
-ˌvak-yə-ˈwā-shən
Medical Definition
evacuate
verb
evac·u·ate
i-ˈvak-yə-ˌwāt
evacuated; evacuating
1
: to remove the contents of
evacuate an abscess
2
: to discharge (as urine or feces) from the body as waste : void
: to pass urine or feces from the body
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