as in dormant
not being in a state of use, activity, or employment
the coal mine has been lying fallow since the drop in prices made it unprofitable
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Recent Examples of fallow
Colbi Edmonds, The Orlando Sentinel, 1 Jan. 2026
That means 2025 is well and redeemed at the domestic box office, despite long, slow stretches, and a worryingly fallow summer.
—Ryan Coleman, Entertainment Weekly, 21 Dec. 2025
Ian James, Los Angeles Times, 21 Mar. 2026
As part of the settlement, Riverview has agreed to fallow 2,000 acres of farmland in the Sulphur Springs Valley to reduce groundwater usage and conserve more water for the future, Mayes said.
—Center Square, The Washington Examiner, 8 Jan. 2026
See All Example Sentences for fallow
Adjective
Its search comes as the city of Clearwater grapples with how to draw visitors to its quiet downtown, where entities connected to the Church of Scientology have snapped up prime real estate and left it fallow.
—Colbi Edmonds, The Orlando Sentinel, 1 Jan. 2026
That means 2025 is well and redeemed at the domestic box office, despite long, slow stretches, and a worryingly fallow summer.
—Ryan Coleman, Entertainment Weekly, 21 Dec. 2025
Verb
To reduce water use and comply with the groundwater law, Arvin-Edison is starting to buy some farmland and leave the fields fallow.
—Ian James, Los Angeles Times, 21 Mar. 2026
As part of the settlement, Riverview has agreed to fallow 2,000 acres of farmland in the Sulphur Springs Valley to reduce groundwater usage and conserve more water for the future, Mayes said.
—Center Square, The Washington Examiner, 8 Jan. 2026
See All Example Sentences for fallow
Recent Examples of Synonyms for fallow
Adjective
-
On the eighth, an older dormant function remained active and began generating unintended trades when markets opened.—
Aditya Vikram Kashyap,
Forbes.com,
18 May 2026
-
Granted, Becerra has had a hard week, with a gaffe with a reporter that went viral and a plea deal by a former aide in that case of money misappropriated from his dormant campaign account.—
Gustavo Arellano,
Los Angeles Times,
15 May 2026
Verb
-
Incorporate and Water On bare soil, lightly rake the fertilizer into the top inch.—
Rachel Silva,
Martha Stewart,
17 May 2026
-
Just avoid raking clover seed after planting as this covers the seeds with too much soil and reduces germination rates.—
Lauren Landers,
Better Homes & Gardens,
16 May 2026
Adjective
-
Beyond that Constitutional requirement, Census numbers and their off-year demographic studies are used for a wide range of research and economic reports.—
Paula Wethington,
CBS News,
14 May 2026
-
The apparent demise of the Voting Rights Act and its immediate effects come after almost a year of extraordinary off-cycle attempts to gerrymander maps around the country.—
Hanna Rosin,
The Atlantic,
14 May 2026
Verb
-
These should be relatively easy to hoe out and dispose of.—
Laura Simpson,
Oc Register,
11 Apr. 2026
-
The $10 general admission during the Lilac Festival on weekends includes petting zoo, lilac maze, hoe down & jug band shows, lawn games, and lilac viewing.—
Linda Mcintosh,
San Diego Union-Tribune,
31 Mar. 2026
Adjective
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But during a time when Detroit officials had verifiable data on formerly vacant homes and buildings being redeveloped into housing, they were frustrated that Census population estimates did not align with local data.—
Paula Wethington,
CBS News,
14 May 2026
-
Whatever the case may be, don’t let your shoes spend too long vacant on the porch.—
Hallie Milstein,
Southern Living,
14 May 2026
Verb
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Carolina Panthers add to running back depth chart Davis, listed as 5-foot-11 and 212 pounds, spent six seasons in college.—
Mike Kaye,
Charlotte Observer,
18 May 2026
-
Officially, the state lists 19,000 orphan wells that state regulators are responsible for cleaning up, but the true figure is likely over 300,000, according to federal researchers.—
Nick Bowlin,
ProPublica,
18 May 2026
Adjective
-
After months of mounting hype and idle space, the 2026 NFL schedule has finally been unveiled in full.—
Steven Louis Goldstein,
New York Times,
16 May 2026
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These days, the 007 sits idle while schools of fish nibble at the algae that grows on its barriers.—
Scotty Reiss,
Forbes.com,
14 May 2026
Verb
-
Before the big race, the track was harrowed, bringing it to a better and drier racing surface.—
John Cherwa,
Los Angeles Times,
7 June 2025
-
The research fellow who met me, Birte, was in her forties, and appeared as if she had been harrowed by her work.—
John Ganz,
Harper's Magazine,
22 May 2024
Cite this Entry
“Fallow.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/fallow. Accessed 20 May. 2026.
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