as in embankment
a raised bank or wall made of soil
—usually plural
prehistoric earthworks
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Recent Examples of earthwork
When early earthworks began on the soccer fields, archaeologists uncovered graves, pits and ditches, according to the post.
—
Irene Wright, Miami Herald, 29 July 2025
Explore an indigenous ceremonial site Explore Fortified Hill, a 2,000-year-old Indigenous ceremonial earthworks site adjacent to Pyramid Hill Sculpture Park.
—Caroline Ritzie, The Enquirer, 25 July 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
In 2024, significant developments included the installation of new offices and major earthworks at the Wardner operating yard, as well as the construction of the Process Plant at the Kellogg yard.
—Quartz Intelligence Newsroom, Quartz, 28 Mar. 2025
See All Example Sentences for earthwork
Irene Wright, Miami Herald, 29 July 2025
Explore an indigenous ceremonial site Explore Fortified Hill, a 2,000-year-old Indigenous ceremonial earthworks site adjacent to Pyramid Hill Sculpture Park.
—Caroline Ritzie, The Enquirer, 25 July 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
In 2024, significant developments included the installation of new offices and major earthworks at the Wardner operating yard, as well as the construction of the Process Plant at the Kellogg yard.
—Quartz Intelligence Newsroom, Quartz, 28 Mar. 2025
See All Example Sentences for earthwork
Recent Examples of Synonyms for earthwork
Noun
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The Hyundai then left the road, traveled up an embankment and struck a large rock, police said.—
Kendrick Calfee
Updated January 10,
Kansas City Star,
10 Jan. 2026
-
After locating handgun ammunition in the SUV, Burbank PD used a helicopter and police dog named Spike to locate Alas along a steep embankment along the freeway.—
Matthew Rodriguez,
CBS News,
8 Jan. 2026
Noun
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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
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It is comprised of two ramparts, one around the exterior of the village, and a small one situated at the center of the mound.—
Maria Mocerino,
Interesting Engineering,
4 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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The 75-year-old levee had multiple failures in recent days, from seepage and water overtopping it to a partial collapse at one home, county officials said.—
Steven Rosenfeld,
Mercury News,
6 Jan. 2026
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Since then, there have been major improvements in modernizing the levees and flood risk management.—
Kayla Moeller,
CBS News,
3 Jan. 2026
Noun
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Everglades restoration involves removing as many of these dams as possible without risking flood control, while adding more reservoirs for water storage, all to revive a river of grass that flows once more.—
Amy Green,
Miami Herald,
9 Jan. 2026
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But efforts to mitigate human harms—restricting harvests, remodeling dams, breeding salmon in hatcheries—are yielding diminishing returns.—
Katherine J. Wu,
The Atlantic,
7 Jan. 2026
Noun
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Brandon Bell / Getty Images Since then, people have been fortifying dike systems to contain the water, often building housing and industrial buildings as close to the edge as flood plain planners allow.—
Evan Bush,
NBC news,
16 Dec. 2025
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Chinese mitten crabs burrow into levees, dikes, and stream banks, increasing erosion and threatening flood-control systems.—
Staff Author Updated,
PEOPLE,
3 Dec. 2025
Noun
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In the final draft presented to city officials, the consultant recommended that the city proceed with advancing a pilot offshore multi-benefit emergent breakwater, paired with beach nourishment, at North Beach.—
Laylan Connelly,
Oc Register,
25 Nov. 2025
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This side of the breakwater was lined with tide pools formed from ECOncrete, a composite cement that mimics natural rock formations.—
Ben McGrath,
New Yorker,
3 Nov. 2025
Noun
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Your confidence can be a bulwark against disappointment in others in February.—
Magi Helena,
Dallas Morning News,
9 Jan. 2026
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In 2025-26, the capabilities of its allies in the region have been eroded, and some former partners, like Bashar al-Assad, who provided a crucial bulwark for Tehran, are no longer in power.—
Washington Post,
Washington Post,
5 Jan. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Earthwork.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/earthwork. Accessed 13 Jan. 2026.
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