1
as in soil
the loose surface material in which plants naturally grow
dig into the dirt to a depth of about three inches
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
2
3
as in muck
foul matter that mars the purity or cleanliness of something
there's some dirt on your shoes
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
4
as in grossness
the quality or state of being obscene
appalled by the dirt in the author's novels
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
5
as in dung
solid matter discharged from an animal's alimentary canal
tread carefully, as there's cow dirt all over the pasture
Synonyms & Similar Words
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of dirt
Trucks carrying valuable dirt from beneath construction sites regularly roll into the city's Clean Soil Bank in East New York, Brooklyn, which is run by the NYC Office of Environmental Remediation.
—
CBS News, 30 Apr. 2026
Plug cavities with dirt, sand or foam so rainwater can’t pool inside.
—Ryan Brennan
april 30, Miami Herald, 30 Apr. 2026
Explore more under-$30 porch finds below, including a dirt-trapping door mat ($12), decorative lanterns ($20), and an easy-to-install bird seed tray ($19).
—Mariana Best, Better Homes & Gardens, 30 Apr. 2026
But the mental part going from the grass to the dirt is a little different.
—Kansas City Star, 30 Apr. 2026
See All Example Sentences for dirt
CBS News, 30 Apr. 2026
Plug cavities with dirt, sand or foam so rainwater can’t pool inside.
—Ryan Brennan
april 30, Miami Herald, 30 Apr. 2026
Explore more under-$30 porch finds below, including a dirt-trapping door mat ($12), decorative lanterns ($20), and an easy-to-install bird seed tray ($19).
—Mariana Best, Better Homes & Gardens, 30 Apr. 2026
But the mental part going from the grass to the dirt is a little different.
—Kansas City Star, 30 Apr. 2026
See All Example Sentences for dirt
Recent Examples of Synonyms for dirt
Noun
-
America’s refusal dates back to the nineteen-nineties; considering this, the current Administration’s actions can be seen only as a shameful continuation of our country’s failure to respect human rights, even on its own soil.—
The New Yorker,
New Yorker,
4 May 2026
-
But what about Hong Kong, the most international and open city on Chinese soil?—
Brian Wong,
Fortune,
3 May 2026
Noun
-
His worst deed was to destroy USAID, the Agency for International Development, which had been our main civilian instrument for fostering survival, hope and democracy in foreign lands.—
Sun Sentinel Editorial Board,
Sun Sentinel,
1 May 2026
-
Most families keep some of the liquid for houseplants or gardening, but most of it goes to land conservation partners to be used as fertilizer, said founder and CEO Emily Nelson.—
ABC News,
ABC News,
1 May 2026
Noun
-
The highest-scoring, fastest-flying team on the ice this season just can't seem to completely solve the lock-down, muck-up-the-middle approach of the Los Angeles Kings.—
ABC News,
ABC News,
22 Apr. 2026
-
Popular with airboaters, froggers and fishermen, the swampy muck beneath the water may have acted as a pincushion, essentially swallowing the disabled DC-9 aircraft.—
Miami Herald Archives,
Miami Herald,
21 Apr. 2026
Noun
-
There are no great surprises from here on out, though the sheer, lusty grossness of the fallout is occasionally startling.—
Guy Lodge,
Variety,
16 Apr. 2026
-
If an exclamation point only signified gore and grossness, this gothic rock opera would more than qualify.—
Rachel Simon,
Vulture,
6 Mar. 2026
Noun
-
Release of dung increases soil organic carbon and helps build soil structure that improves water filtration and soil aeration.—
Paige Stein,
Hartford Courant,
4 May 2026
-
They can be sampled using standardized trapping methods worldwide, since they are easily attracted to dung and carrion, which allows for comparable data across different regions.—
Doyle Rice,
USA Today,
5 Apr. 2026
Noun
-
Construction in the Arizona desert damaged an enormous Indigenous ground etching resembling a fish that is thought to be at least 1,000 years old.—
Jake Spring,
Washington Post,
1 May 2026
-
Outside posts have a cleaner path early but can lose ground on turns since wider turns require horses to cover more distance.—
Neil Greenberg,
New York Times,
1 May 2026
Noun
-
When maintenance issues reached a crisis point with sewage overflow in 2023, residents turned to the attorney general to intervene.—
Don Stacom,
Hartford Courant,
30 Apr. 2026
-
Raw sewage poured into the Hudson and Chicago Rivers.—
Elizabeth Kolbert,
New Yorker,
30 Apr. 2026
Noun
-
In addition, prosecutors say swastikas, antisemitic slogans and vulgarity were spray-painted on pillars underneath M-53 and Canal, a brick wall near a business and an electrical box at a second business.—
Joseph Buczek,
CBS News,
22 Apr. 2026
-
His vulgarity, insults and threats do not make America great.—
Voice of the People,
New York Daily News,
11 Apr. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Dirt.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/dirt. Accessed 8 May. 2026.
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