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 Concrete beams standing in the dirt like tall tombstones. Daniel Estrin, NPR, 7 Nov. 2025 Knapton’s garage had been broken into twice before, with dirt-bikes stolen, Lustig said. Darcie Moran, Freep.com, 7 Nov. 2025 On October 27th, a video went out over social media that showed at least nine men sitting slumped in a row beside a dirt track in the city of El Fasher, in Sudan’s Darfur region. Nicolas Niarchos, New Yorker, 7 Nov. 2025 This has become the central theme of The Real Housewives of Salt Lake City—probably the most chaotic show in its franchise—whose characters are always trying to root out which of their frenemies is furtively digging up dirt and spreading rumors about their legal or financial woes. Judy Berman, Time, 5 Nov. 2025 See All Example Sentences for dirt
Recent Examples of Synonyms for dirt
Noun
  • The farmers also pitched in with efforts of their own, including adjusting fertilizer methods, controlling soil erosion and increasing on-site water retention.
    Amy Green, Miami Herald, 9 Jan. 2026
  • Another key area involves developing artificial lunar and Martian soil simulants to test rover traction and propulsion systems.
    Aamir Khollam, Interesting Engineering, 9 Jan. 2026
Noun
  • Illegal Campfire has been burning on federal land managed by the United States Forest Service for 22 days.
    CA WILDFIRE BOT, Sacbee.com, 7 Jan. 2026
  • Information widely available within the industry suggested that land movement related to hurricane activity was a threat to pipelines.
    Arkansas Online, Arkansas Online, 7 Jan. 2026
Noun
  • But the mandates also help colleges shovel heaps of bureaucratic muck—validating data for accreditation, carrying out enrollment, flagging troubled students, aggregating metrics of all kinds.
    Ian Bogost, The Atlantic, 4 Nov. 2025
  • 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
Noun
  • He is charged with open and lewd grossness.
    Flint McColgan, Boston Herald, 24 Oct. 2025
  • In fact, plenty of other things in your home surpass the toilet in terms of grossness.
    Mary Cornetta, Better Homes & Gardens, 24 Sep. 2025
Noun
  • These rodents left 15 pieces of dung on top of the dishwasher.
    David J. Neal, Miami Herald, 19 Dec. 2025
  • That fascination has led to more recent, post-retirement explorations into the role that the lowly dung and the lofty condor play in maintaining environmental health and balance.
    Martha Ross, Mercury News, 23 Nov. 2025
Noun
  • Cloud to ground lightning is occurring with these storms.
    NC Weather Bot, Charlotte Observer, 10 Nov. 2025
  • Through the integration with Tactical Assault Kit software, the team remotely controlled multiple unmanned ground and surface units across a large, 50-square-mile operational area.
    Prabhat Ranjan Mishra, Interesting Engineering, 9 Nov. 2025
Noun
  • Georgetown officials are asking people to avoid the water in San Gabriel and Blue Hole parks after more than 100,000 gallons of untreated sewage spilled into the South San Gabriel River following a break in the wastewater line.
    Claire Osborn, Austin American Statesman, 6 Jan. 2026
  • New fees will also be introduced for sewage services, the cost of foreign workers’ permits will be raised, and natural gas subsidies will be phased out for companies.
    Dominic Dudley, semafor.com, 5 Jan. 2026
Noun
  • With its insistent, obsessive patter, not to mention its unrelenting commitment to in-your-face vulgarity, Sherman’s comedy is hardly for everyone.
    Naomi Fry, New Yorker, 6 Dec. 2025
  • 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

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Cite this Entry

“Dirt.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/dirt. Accessed 10 Jan. 2026.

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