unearth

present singular third person unearths · participle present unearthing · participle past unearthed · past unearthed

1. To drive or draw from the earth.

   to unearth a fox or a badger

2. broadlyTo dig up.

   Despite all the evidence confirming the existence of the Protheans, little is known about their culture and society. From time to time, dig sites will yield new clues, but after 50,000 years of decay, little of value is unearthed.

   2008, BioWare, Mass Effect, Redwood City: Electronic Arts, →ISBN, →OCLC, PC, scene: Protheans: Data Discs Codex entry

   1 more example

   Modern archaeological excavations have unearthed the remains of a large number of ancient cities that lay buried deep under the sands for more than a thousand years, along the trade route from Bactria to China passing between the Tien Shan mountains in the north and the desert of Taklamakan in the south.

   1971, R. C. Majumdar, “Medicine”, in A Concise History of Science in India, New Delhi: Indian National Science Academy, published 1989, →OCLC, page 261

3. To uncover or find; to bring out from concealment.

   to unearth a secret

   2 more examples

   Near-synonym: discover

   He very soon discovered a Wynn Carrados living at Richmond, and, better still, further search failed to unearth another. There was, apparently, only one householder at all events of that name in the neighbourhood of London.

   1914, Ernest Bramah [pseudonym; Ernest Brammah Smith], Max Carrados

   Synonyms: bring to light, disclose, unfold, discover