earthwork
noun
earth·work
ˈərth-ˌwərk 
1
: an embankment or other construction made of earth
especially
: one used as a field fortification
2
: the operations connected with excavations and embankments of earth
3
: a work of art consisting of a portion of land modified by an artist
Examples of earthwork in a Sentence
Recent Examples on the Web
The city was once the heart of the Kingdom of Benin, a powerful precolonial state known for its sophisticated governance and monumental earthworks.
—
Amir Daftari, MSNBC Newsweek, 3 Dec. 2025
Andrew Scherer, a professor of archaeology and the ancient world, also at Brown, said the sheer size of the earthworks, their early age and the lack of a significant social hierarchy made the site particularly interesting.
—Katie Hunt, CNN Money, 5 Nov. 2025
In a satellite image taken over the same area on Aug. 9, the military vehicles and earthworks are not visible.
—Kerem Inal, ABC News, 21 Aug. 2025
One of America’s oldest plantations, Magnolia was established in the 1670s as a rice plantation featuring extensive dikes and earthworks built by enslaved Africans with a link to the Gullah culture.
—Noreen Kompanik, Boston Herald, 3 Aug. 2025
See All Example Sentences for earthwork
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Amir Daftari, MSNBC Newsweek, 3 Dec. 2025
Andrew Scherer, a professor of archaeology and the ancient world, also at Brown, said the sheer size of the earthworks, their early age and the lack of a significant social hierarchy made the site particularly interesting.
—Katie Hunt, CNN Money, 5 Nov. 2025
In a satellite image taken over the same area on Aug. 9, the military vehicles and earthworks are not visible.
—Kerem Inal, ABC News, 21 Aug. 2025
One of America’s oldest plantations, Magnolia was established in the 1670s as a rice plantation featuring extensive dikes and earthworks built by enslaved Africans with a link to the Gullah culture.
—Noreen Kompanik, Boston Herald, 3 Aug. 2025
See All Example Sentences for earthwork
Cite this Entry
“Earthwork.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/earthwork. Accessed 6 Dec. 2025.
Copy CitationKids Definition
earthwork
noun
earth·work
-ˌwərk
: something (as a raised bank or wall) constructed out of earth especially for protection
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