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as in land
the solid part of our planet's surface as distinguished from the sea and air at the first sound of gunfire we hit the dirt

Synonyms & Similar Words

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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

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 dirt Just throw one pitch in the dirt. Eben Novy-Williams, Sportico.com, 24 Oct. 2025 Although Olympia has been trying hard to keep Matty on a leash — and far away from the New York Times — the fact of the matter is that Matty and Edwin have already contacted the Times multiple times, promising dirt on Jacobson-Moore and Wellbrexa. Noel Murray, Vulture, 24 Oct. 2025 Pants like Ewedoos’ Wide-leg Stretchy Work Pants are soft and loose-fitting for all-day wear, plus their dark color easily hides food or drink spills, wrinkles, dirt, and sweat. Hillary Maglin, Travel + Leisure, 23 Oct. 2025 Donate or recycle these, and then clean out any obvious dust and dirt. Michelle Mastro, Architectural Digest, 23 Oct. 2025 See All Example Sentences for dirt
Recent Examples of Synonyms for dirt
Noun
  • Her dad planted a redbud tree, in bad soil, outside her bedroom window.
    Amanda Whiting, Vulture, 5 Nov. 2025
  • The new advisory follows recent testing in eastern Kennebec and western Waldo counties, which showed that deer and turkey sampled from areas near contaminated soil had PFAS concentrations in muscle tissue high enough to warrant a public health warning.
    Anna Skinner, MSNBC Newsweek, 4 Nov. 2025
Noun
  • Advertisement Restoring degraded land offers similar payoffs.
    Kaveh Zahedi, Time, 3 Nov. 2025
  • For instance, the Bangladesh delta, one of the most fertile and densely populated areas in the world, is already experiencing problems, including salinity intrusion, rising sea levels and the loss of arable land.
    Pintu Kumar Mahla, The Conversation, 3 Nov. 2025
Noun
  • Since the April 2022 closing of the $43 billion merger of WarnerMedia and Discovery, investors have been dragged into the muck.
    Dade Hayes, Deadline, 21 Oct. 2025
  • The Gophers’ running game was stuck in the muck for weeks, but running back Darius Taylor got loose with 145 yards on 21 carries and his first rushing touchdown.
    Andy Greder, Twin Cities, 18 Oct. 2025
Noun
  • In fact, plenty of other things in your home surpass the toilet in terms of grossness.
    Mary Cornetta, Better Homes & Gardens, 24 Sep. 2025
  • Brain rot has become unavoidable, its grossness ubiquitous.
    Kyle Chayka, New Yorker, 20 Aug. 2025
Noun
  • Rodents left dung pieces in the bun storage area (over 25); dry storage shelves (over 10); the front counter cabinet where the soda machine equipment is (over 10); and behind the air conditioning unit on the second floor (over 20).
    David J. Neal, Miami Herald, 17 Oct. 2025
  • Or that tossed off, scrapped, relegated to the dung heap of failed work, the unconscious keeps turning and turning the deep images and obsessions.
    Literary Hub, Literary Hub, 6 Oct. 2025
Noun
  • And Rivian plans to break ground on a new plant in Georgia next year to support production of the R2 and the future R3.
    Jane Thier, Fortune, 2 Nov. 2025
  • Video of the encounter shows Lee at the front of the crowd when officers with Illinois State Police patches on their sleeves pushed in an apparent attempt to clear them from a paved area, and some demonstrators tried to hold their ground.
    Nicquel Terry Ellis, CNN Money, 2 Nov. 2025
Noun
  • The forecast had predicted thunderstorms in the rural town of Yemassee, South Carolina, where Vance, a land surveyor, was mapping sewage lines.
    Ava Kofman, New Yorker, 3 Nov. 2025
  • Overharvesting and pollution with sediments, sewage, and fertilizer have mounted ever since the 1700s, a century after the first English settlement, Jamestown, was established on the James River that feeds into the bay.
    JSTOR Daily, JSTOR Daily, 31 Oct. 2025
Noun
  • The artist’s way, of course, is sincere, even if in the case of Dracula, sincerity begets just under three hours of unsparing cultural commentary and full goose bozo vulgarity.
    Andy Crump, Time, 31 Oct. 2025
  • Songs marked explicit mean their lyrics include swear words or other vulgarities.
    Melina Khan, USA Today, 3 Oct. 2025

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Cite this Entry

“Dirt.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/dirt. Accessed 5 Nov. 2025.

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