What context can I use each word in?
Learn when and how to use these words with these examples!
ablate
Example
The surgeon will ablate the tumor using a laser. [ablate: verb]
Example
The spacecraft's heat shield will ablate during re-entry into the Earth's atmosphere. [ablate: verb]
excise
Example
The surgeon will excise the tumor from the patient's lung. [excise: verb]
Example
The editor decided to excise the irrelevant paragraphs from the article. [excise: verb]
Good things to know
Which word is more common?
Excise is more commonly used than ablate in everyday language, due to its wider range of applications. Ablate is more commonly used in medical or scientific contexts.
What’s the difference in the tone of formality between ablate and excise?
Both ablate and excise are formal words that are typically used in technical or specialized contexts, such as medicine, science, or manufacturing.
