exfiltrate

verb

ex·​fil·​trate eks-ˈfil-ˌtrāt How to pronounce exfiltrate (audio)
ˈeks-(ˌ)fil-
exfiltrated; exfiltrating

transitive verb

1
: to remove (someone) furtively from a hostile area
Kublinski avoided detection. He was exfiltrated from Poland, with his family, only after being compromised by a leak from the U.S. government.— Radek Sikorski
2
: to steal (sensitive data) from a computer (as with a flash drive)

intransitive verb

: to escape from a hostile area
exfiltration
ˌeks-(ˌ)fil-ˈtrā-shən How to pronounce exfiltrate (audio)
noun

Examples of exfiltrate in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web
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.
By reconfiguring these systems, attackers exfiltrated data without detection for months, demonstrating a deep understanding of their targets. — Milind Gunjan, Forbes, 5 Mar. 2025 Chang, who called the development of nuclear weapons nonsense, was exfiltrated by the CIA to the U.S. with his family in 1988 before Washington sent a team to Taiwan to dismantle a facility that was designed to extract nuclear materials for weapons production. — Thomas G. Moukawsher, Newsweek, 4 Mar. 2025 In any event, the attacker had now gained persistent, privileged access to the network and was in a position to exfiltrate sensitive data from it. — Dan Goodin, Ars Technica, 21 Feb. 2025 Yes, but: Legal and congressional processes are slow — Musk's team may be able to exfiltrate data or deploy code before any real consequences materialize. — Sam Sabin, Axios, 7 Feb. 2025 See All Example Sentences for exfiltrate

Word History

Etymology

back-formation from exfiltration, from ex- entry 1 + (in)filtration

First Known Use

1947, in the meaning defined at transitive sense 1

Time Traveler
The first known use of exfiltrate was in 1947

Rhymes for exfiltrate

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Browse Nearby Words

exfiltrate
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Cite this Entry

“Exfiltrate.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/exfiltrate. Accessed 23 Mar. 2025.

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