as in embankment
a raised bank or wall made of soil
—usually plural
prehistoric earthworks
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Recent Examples of earthwork
The Hopewell made even more elaborate burial mounds and earthworks, and expanded on what the Adena had established.
—
Jeff Suess, Cincinnati Enquirer, 23 Nov. 2025
In a satellite image taken over the same area on Aug. 9, the military vehicles and earthworks are not visible.
—Kerem Inal, ABC News, 21 Aug. 2025
Wander shaded trails, explore the fort’s earthworks, and take in the views across the James River.
—Erin Gifford, Southern Living, 20 June 2025
Hundreds of people braved Ohio’s snowy winter to experience the earthwork.
—Kevin Williams, Smithsonian Magazine, 9 May 2025
See All Example Sentences for earthwork
Jeff Suess, Cincinnati Enquirer, 23 Nov. 2025
In a satellite image taken over the same area on Aug. 9, the military vehicles and earthworks are not visible.
—Kerem Inal, ABC News, 21 Aug. 2025
Wander shaded trails, explore the fort’s earthworks, and take in the views across the James River.
—Erin Gifford, Southern Living, 20 June 2025
Hundreds of people braved Ohio’s snowy winter to experience the earthwork.
—Kevin Williams, Smithsonian Magazine, 9 May 2025
See All Example Sentences for earthwork
Recent Examples of Synonyms for earthwork
Noun
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The rule of thumb is to plant smaller plants with low water needs at the top of the embankment.—
The San Diego Union Tribune,
San Diego Union-Tribune,
14 Mar. 2026
-
The Honda left the road, traveling onto the shoulder and ended up in an embankment.—
Nicole Buss,
Sacbee.com,
14 Mar. 2026
Noun
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In this sense, Welles’s songs are far better suited to social media than to the stage, to say nothing of the ramparts.—
Mitch Therieau,
New Yorker,
7 Feb. 2026
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Great views of Lisbon abound from numerous venues throughout the city, but this one, with its maze of towers, ramparts, and courtyards atop the highest hill in the city, is the most distinctive setting.—
Alia Akkam,
Condé Nast Traveler,
12 Jan. 2026
Noun
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The infantrymen around him peeped painfully over the heap of dirt that substituted for a breastwork.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
9 Jan. 2026
Noun
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To reshape the Mountain View pond and reinforce levees against sea-level rise and storm surges, crews imported 180,000 cubic yards of fill dirt from local construction sites.—
Ryan Macasero,
Mercury News,
21 Feb. 2026
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The channel is meant to boost flood control and replace aging levees built in the wake of the 1949 flood.—
Harrison Mantas,
Fort Worth Star-Telegram,
20 Feb. 2026
Noun
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Also, the lower Guadalupe River begins at the Canyon Lake dam and winds through the Texas Hill Country to New Braunfels, allowing plenty of opportunities to rent a tube and float your way down the river, which also boasts beautiful water.—
Kaitlyn Yarborough,
Southern Living,
13 Mar. 2026
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To help distinguish the fact from fiction, Scientific American spoke to Emily Fairfax, who studies ecohydrology at the University of Minnesota and worked with the Hoppers team to make sure the beaver depictions were dam right.—
Brianne Kane,
Scientific American,
13 Mar. 2026
Noun
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Park staff in July partially opened the valve of the structure after heavy rain caused water levels to overflow the lake’s earthen dike, raising erosion concerns.—
Mary Divine,
Twin Cities,
18 Feb. 2026
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Refurbishment of the dike around the lake is finished, and a revision of the lake management rules went into effect in 2024.—
Amy Green,
Miami Herald,
9 Jan. 2026
Noun
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The hot spring pools blend into the natural rocky breakwater barriers and offer the opportunity for a warm soak after swimming in the sea.—
Lauren Breedlove,
Outside,
3 Mar. 2026
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Manmade structures like the pier and breakwater at Michigan City and the Port of Indiana-Burns Harbor in Portage disrupt the natural flow of sand along the southern shore of Lake Michigan.—
Doug Ross,
Chicago Tribune,
10 Jan. 2026
Noun
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The official had little sympathy for Amodei’s position, which all but explicitly stated that his arbitrary contractual stipulations were the only acceptable bulwark against government impunity.—
Gideon Lewis-Kraus,
New Yorker,
14 Mar. 2026
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Benjamin Netanyahu appears to see himself as the modern-day incarnation of Winston Churchill, standing as the international bulwark against Iran as the British leader once stood against Nazi Germany.—
Tal Shalev,
CNN Money,
6 Mar. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Earthwork.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/earthwork. Accessed 21 Mar. 2026.
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