excavate for

USAGE SUMMARY

"excavate for" is a correct and usable phrase in written English.
It is typically used to describe the action of digging or removing earth or material from a specific area or location. Example: The construction crew began to excavate for the new building's foundation, carefully removing layers of soil to reveal ancient artifacts buried beneath the surface.

✓ Grammatically correct

News & Media

Wiki

Science

Human-verified examples from authoritative sources

Exact Expressions

14 human-written examples

Also, it is often impossible to excavate for a sunken pool.

The New York Times

Preparatory work will occupy construction crews for several months, as they clear ground and excavate for new foundations.

The New York Times

In many places where contractors excavate for the Summer Games -- now less than 14 months away -- they uncover more treasures from the past.

The New York Times - Sports

"Locals will go out and excavate for antiquities and bring this stuff to Isis and get paid, or they're willing to traffic this stuff and pay Isis a tax to smuggle it into Turkey".

Independent

Includes a field trip to Brad Lumpkin's bed, where we will excavate for pizza crusts and coinage, as well as for cell phones dating back to the early paleo-iPhone era.

The New Yorker

The cheapest holes of all are those dug by other people.One particularly big hole that physicists did not have to excavate for themselves is INCO's Creighton nickel mine, near Sudbury, Ontario.

The Economist

Human-verified similar examples from authoritative sources

Similar Expressions

45 human-written examples

You still work for the local landlord and shopkeeper to pay the mortgage, delivering items to the village's various twittering inhabitants while you fly-fish, bug-catch and fossil-excavate for supplementary income, but there's a new urgency to everything now that you're a cog in the municipal machine.

The Guardian - Tech

Some amounts of clay, sand, and gravel are excavated for local use.

Encyclopedia Britannica

Outside his office, backhoes were excavating for a $30 million shopping area in the village center.

The New York Times

The plaza in front of my old carmen was being excavated for an underground garage.

The New York Times - Travel

The quarries have been excavated for centuries for their spotless and pure marble.

The New York Times - Travel

Expert writing Tips

Best practice

When using "excavate for", specify the purpose of the excavation to provide clarity. For example, "excavate for a foundation" or "excavate for a pipeline".

Common error

Avoid vague usage. Saying "they excavated" lacks context. Instead, clarify what they were excavating for to give your sentence more precision and impact.

Linguistic Context

The phrase "excavate for" functions as a verb phrase indicating the action of digging or removing earth in preparation for a specific purpose. As Ludwig AI confirms, this phrase is grammatically correct and commonly used. Examples in Ludwig illustrate its usage in contexts like construction and archaeology.

Expression frequency: Uncommon

Frequent in

News & Media

37%

Wiki

21%

Science

18%

Less common in

Encyclopedias

12%

The New Yorker

6%

The Guardian - Books

6%

Ludwig's WRAP-UP

In summary, "excavate for" is a grammatically sound and relatively common verb phrase used to describe the action of digging or removing earth in preparation for a specific purpose. According to Ludwig AI, the phrase is correct and usable in written English. Ludwig examples show it's frequently used in news, wiki and scientific contexts. To improve clarity, it's important to specify what one is excavating for, like in "excavate for a foundation". While alternatives exist, "excavate for" provides a clear and concise way to describe this preparatory action.

More alternative expressions

Phrases that express similar concepts, ordered by semantic similarity:

Dig out in preparation for

This alternative highlights the preparatory nature of the digging, being slightly more verbose.

Prepare ground by digging

This alternative emphasizes the preparation aspect by digging, highlighting a more practical perspective.

Prepare the site with digging

This alternative underlines site preparation through digging, offering a structural variation.

Dig to create

This alternative is broader, focusing on the action of digging to form something, rather than specifically preparing a site.

Remove earth to make way for

This focuses on earth removal, specifying the purpose of creating space.

Clear land by digging

This focuses on removing obstructions by digging to make the land usable.

Dig a foundation for

This is more specific, referring to digging for a building's foundation.

Create a hole by digging

This option focuses on the creation of a void, rather than the preparatory aspect.

Cut into the ground for

This emphasizes the act of cutting into the earth to achieve a purpose.

Unearth in anticipation of

This brings in the sense of uncovering something, adding a layer of expectation.

FAQs

How do I use "excavate for" in a sentence?

Use "excavate for" to describe the process of digging to prepare a space for a specific purpose. For instance, "The team will excavate for the new subway line."

What are some alternatives to "excavate for"?

Alternatives include "dig to create", "prepare ground by digging", or "clear land by digging", depending on the specific context.

Is it correct to say "excavate in order to" instead of "excavate for"?

While grammatically acceptable, "excavate for" is more concise and commonly used. "Excavate in order to" can sound more formal but is often unnecessary.

What's the difference between "excavate for" and simply "dig"?

"Dig" is a general term for creating a hole, while "excavate for" implies digging with a specific purpose or future construction in mind. You might "dig" a hole for fun, but you "excavate for" a building's foundation.