fallow 1 of 2

adjective

Definition of fallownext
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

Synonyms & Similar Words

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms

fallow

2 of 2

verb

as in to rake

Related Words

Example Sentences

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.
Recent Examples of fallow
Adjective
Others turn to commercial renewable energy leases as both an alternative income stream and a way to put fallow land to work. — ABC News, 17 Apr. 2026 Planned in 1927 as a desirable residential neighborhood, the tract had instead lain fallow for almost 15 years. — Eric Duvall, San Diego Union-Tribune, 13 May 2026
Verb
Planned in 1927 as a desirable residential neighborhood, the tract had instead lain fallow for almost 15 years. — Eric Duvall, San Diego Union-Tribune, 13 May 2026 Continuing to cut farm water allocations is on track to fallow a million acres or more of irrigated farmland in the state, causing a devastating loss of jobs and economic productivity. — Edward Ring, Oc Register, 25 Apr. 2026 See All Example Sentences for fallow
Recent Examples of Synonyms for fallow
  1. dormant
  2. rake
  3. off
  4. hoe
  5. vacant
  6. list
  7. idle
  8. harrow
Adjective
  • Some of the renovations have been successful; fountains are running anew, including the long-dormant cascading water feature at the city’s popular Meridian Hill Park.
    — Justine McDaniel, Los Angeles Times, 2 July 2026
  • Our bedroom is obviously dormant and dead, but that’s ok too.
    — Sean Joseph OutKick, FOXNews.com, 2 July 2026
Definition of dormant
Verb
  • The grass and roots can then be raked out after tilling the soil and before planting flowers.
    — Mary Marlowe Leverette, Southern Living, 5 July 2026
  • In a group play match against Algeria, Lionel Messi, the Argentine superstar, seemed to rake his studs along Aïssa Mandi’s right calf and ankle.
    — Mirjam Swanson, Los Angeles Times, 2 July 2026
Definition of rake
Adjective
  • Sooryavanshi missed his first two balls and got off the mark with a sketchy inside edge that pinged past his off stump.
    — ABC News, ABC News, 4 July 2026
  • If your student has an off-campus job or a position that requires them to work odd hours, a car might be worth the expense and hassle.
    — Chris Teague, AJC.com, 3 July 2026
Definition of off
Verb
  • The post-op row, however, is proving tough to hoe for a small business owner used to putting in hours well beyond overtime.
    — Amy Drew Thompson, The Orlando Sentinel, 23 May 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
Definition of hoe
Adjective
  • And New York City has championed these conversions, offering tax incentives to turn older vacant office buildings into livable spaces.
    — Samantha Delouya, CNN Money, 8 July 2026
  • The only pedestrians passing by one vacant dirt lot near 6th Street were a couple of teens on BMX bikes wearing smoke-blocking face masks.
    — Los Angeles Times, Los Angeles Times, 8 July 2026
Definition of vacant
Verb
  • In polling those are not the issues that Americans list as most important to them.
    — Francesca Chambers, USA Today, 5 July 2026
  • In April, authorities say investigators with the California’s Contractors State License Board’s Statewide Investigative Fraud Team discovered online advertisements offering construction services that did not list a contractor license number.
    — Jasmine Mendez, Los Angeles Times, 4 July 2026
Definition of list
Adjective
  • In the Gulf of Thailand, diesel prices have climbed so high that fishermen are warning their boats may soon sit idle.
    — Ken Silverstein, Forbes.com, 7 July 2026
  • In that scenario, the money is essentially sitting idle instead of growing.
    — Joshua Sidorowicz, CBS News, 1 July 2026
Definition of idle
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
Definition of harrow

Browse Nearby Words

fallouts
fallow
fallowed
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Cite this Entry

“Fallow.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/fallow. Accessed 10 Jul. 2026.

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Nglish: Translation of fallow for Spanish Speakers

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