Definition of dirtnext
1
2
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

3
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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 Earlier this month, bulldozers were videoed uprooting trees and shoveling dirt as wild animals trotted by. Ashley Killough, CNN Money, 13 Aug. 2026 Diisea Besides the inconvenience of lining up, one concern with traditional car washes is the potential for dirt and abrasive particles to cause micro-scratches on the paint or even damage sensors. Maryna Holovnova, New Atlas, 13 Aug. 2026 First, dust the surface to eliminate any annoying dust and dirt particles. Nafeesah Allen, Better Homes & Gardens, 13 Aug. 2026 Part of the solution, parents say, is to let students dig in the dirt during science class or leaf through a library book during English. Stephanie Cook Broadhurst, Christian Science Monitor, 12 Aug. 2026 See All Example Sentences for dirt
Recent Examples of Synonyms for dirt
Noun
  • After the season’s first international break, West Ham will face another London side, Queens Park Rangers, on home soil on October 9.
    Roshane Thomas, New York Times, 15 Aug. 2026
  • Another recurring ingredient is goopher dust, which consists of soil collected from graveyards.
    Encyclopedia Britannica, Encyclopedia Britannica, 14 Aug. 2026
Noun
  • Digital artist Lily Belmira has created a free video game that recreates the environment of Michael Heizer’s monumental land art sculpture City, 1970–2022, in the Nevada desert.
    News Desk, Artforum, 14 Aug. 2026
  • On top of the congestion problem, the Strait of Hormuz disruption is also forcing carriers to rely on more expensive alternative routings and land bridges, tacking on substantial operational costs.
    Glenn Taylor, Footwear News, 14 Aug. 2026
Noun
  • Mops of ghostly streamers, some of them longer than my arm, were waving like tentacles atop layers of black muck.
    James Dinneen, New Yorker, 13 Aug. 2026
  • Even when House of the Dragon is at its best, the prophecy skitters in to make a muck of things.
    Erik Kain, Forbes.com, 10 Aug. 2026
Noun
  • But Paddy’s isn’t Sudz, and the Gang’s efforts to soft-pedal their antics to be more in line with those mainstream bars devolved into typical Sunny-style hostility and off-putting grossness.
    Dennis Perkins, Entertainment Weekly, 28 July 2026
  • All your Dad has to do is fill it and drink—the microfilter membrane will do the rest by removing chlorine odors, dirt, bacteria, and any other grossness floating around in there.
    Francesca Krempa, Travel + Leisure, 11 June 2026
Noun
  • Behind the cookline equipment, the rodent dung shared space with 20 dead roaches.
    David J. Neal July 24, Miami Herald, 24 July 2026
  • When not elbow-deep in dino dung or outrunning raptors, Laura Dern's heartfelt performance in Jurassic Park shows why women really deserve to inherit the Earth — and all of the acting awards.
    Huntley Woods, Entertainment Weekly, 11 June 2026
Noun
  • The endorsements carry weight because unions give money to campaigns and provide boots-on-the-ground support to get out the vote.
    Kate Armanini, Chicago Tribune, 13 Aug. 2026
  • Those supporters have done their club proud, a point embodied by the gradual improvements made to a ground Exeter were once threatened with eviction from under previous owners.
    Richard Sutcliffe, New York Times, 13 Aug. 2026
Noun
  • Paved sidewalks, sewage systems and wastewater treatment plant.
    Nathaniel Meyersohn, CNN Money, 11 Aug. 2026
  • His job hauling buckets of sewage from the latrines was no fun.
    Lorraine Ali, Los Angeles Times, 10 Aug. 2026
Noun
  • The once-vaunted values of public life are now reduced to the lower standards of private life—venality, vulgarity, rudeness, incontinence, and ignorance.
    Simon Sebag Montefiore, The Atlantic, 28 June 2026
  • Benoit delights in language as much as her heroine, weaving Regency-era slang throughout and appending a chapter-by-chapter glossary of vulgarities.
    Angelina Mazza, Vulture, 19 June 2026

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Cite this Entry

“Dirt.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/dirt. Accessed 15 Aug. 2026.

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