1
as in dirt
foul matter that mars the purity or cleanliness of something
got some sort of soil on my white pants
Synonyms & Similar Words
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in dung
solid matter discharged from an animal's alimentary canal
the horse lifted its tail and deposited its soil on the grass
Synonyms & Similar Words
1
as in ground
the loose surface material in which plants naturally grow
bought rich soil to plant flowers in
Synonyms & Similar Words
as in to stain
to make dirty
oil and grease soiled the mechanic's shirt
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of soil
Joshua Siskin, Oc Register, 31 Jan. 2026
Pakistan has repeatedly said that Baloch separatists, the Pakistani Taliban and other militants are using Afghan soil to launch attacks inside Pakistan.
—Abdul Sattar, Los Angeles Times, 31 Jan. 2026
Clark Kauffman, Iowa Capital Dispatch, 13 Jan. 2026
Traditionally, farmers have added these living biofertilizers to soil, where acidity – plus the rival microbes who live there – pose a great threat, and thus for every amount of biofertilizers dumped into soil, only a portion gets to the roots.
—New Atlas, 4 Jan. 2026
See All Example Sentences for soil
Noun
This genus contains 120 species, and many of them are not drought-tolerant but demand moist soil, with some growing in shallow water.
—Joshua Siskin, Oc Register, 31 Jan. 2026
Pakistan has repeatedly said that Baloch separatists, the Pakistani Taliban and other militants are using Afghan soil to launch attacks inside Pakistan.
—Abdul Sattar, Los Angeles Times, 31 Jan. 2026
Verb
In addition, racks inside one of the coolers were unclean and rusty, and the microwave ovens were visibly soiled.
—Clark Kauffman, Iowa Capital Dispatch, 13 Jan. 2026
Traditionally, farmers have added these living biofertilizers to soil, where acidity – plus the rival microbes who live there – pose a great threat, and thus for every amount of biofertilizers dumped into soil, only a portion gets to the roots.
—New Atlas, 4 Jan. 2026
See All Example Sentences for soil
Recent Examples of Synonyms for soil
Verb
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Wearing kitchen gloves to keep your hands from staining, knead 7 oz.—
Jesse Szewczyk,
Bon Appetit Magazine,
27 Jan. 2026
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In testing on human teeth that were artificially stained with tea and coffee, the researchers found that a total of four hours of brushing showed visible whitening, while 12 total hours of brushing led to teeth that were nearly 50% whiter than those in a control group.—
New Atlas,
New Atlas,
27 Jan. 2026
Verb
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The adventurous actress dirties up her frock and face to play the village pariah, who reeks of fish and would be no man’s idea of a suitable wife, except perhaps the one-eyed bum who sleeps in the town square.—
Peter Debruge,
Variety,
26 Jan. 2026
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When stormwater dirtied by road runoff, failing septic tanks and fertilizer sullied crystal-clear rivers and lakes, and nobody cared.—
Orlando Sentinel Editorial Board,
The Orlando Sentinel,
11 Jan. 2026
Verb
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Siniaková, the No. 1 doubles player in the world, started to muck things up, and Anisimova’s serve began to stray.—
Louisa Thomas,
New Yorker,
25 Jan. 2026
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And any buyer that mucked with the platform would mess with one of Perplexity’s most important products.—
semafor.com,
semafor.com,
16 Jan. 2026
Verb
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On Thursday morning, fire department trucks were tearing down the affected side of the building, which was entirely blackened and hollowed out from the flames.—
Summer Lin,
Los Angeles Times,
29 Jan. 2026
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There's no better tool for making biscuits, cornbread, or blackened chicken than a cast-iron skillet.—
Brandee Gruener,
Southern Living,
21 Jan. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Soil.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/soil. Accessed 4 Feb. 2026.
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