as in embankment
a raised bank or wall made of soil
—usually plural
prehistoric earthworks
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Recent Examples of earthwork
Known primarily for his monumental earthworks, Heizer’s glass works are rare and reflect his ongoing engagement with scale, space, and material.
—
Nel-Olivia Waga, Forbes.com, 20 June 2025
The historic site was a Civil War earthwork fort that was built by Black Union soldiers.
—Charna Flam, People.com, 29 May 2025
While there, the militia restored some of the damage done to the earthworks by cultivation and modernization.
—Kevin Williams, Smithsonian Magazine, 9 May 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
Nel-Olivia Waga, Forbes.com, 20 June 2025
The historic site was a Civil War earthwork fort that was built by Black Union soldiers.
—Charna Flam, People.com, 29 May 2025
While there, the militia restored some of the damage done to the earthworks by cultivation and modernization.
—Kevin Williams, Smithsonian Magazine, 9 May 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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Family, friends and spectators line the embankments, looking down from pedestrian bridges and the underpasses, holding up signs and cheering.—
George Caulkin,
New York Times,
6 Sep. 2025
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The impact sent both vehicles spinning down the embankment.—
City News Service,
San Diego Union-Tribune,
4 Sep. 2025
Noun
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The ramparts offer commanding views of Caen’s skyline, while the grounds contain medieval edifices, a 1902 statue by Auguste Rodin and Caen’s main art museum, the Musée des Beaux-Arts (open at 11 a.m.).—
Seth Sherwood,
New York Times,
21 Aug. 2025
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Dubrovnik’s ancient ramparts guard marble lanes that shimmer under Adriatic light—echoing with church bells and café laughter.—
Lewis Nunn,
Forbes.com,
14 Aug. 2025
Noun
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As levees erupted, storm waters easily flowed in.—
Suzette Hackney,
USA Today,
5 Sep. 2025
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But when the levees failed, thousands of people were trapped inside as supplies dwindled and conditions deteriorated quickly.—
Sarah Alegre,
FOXNews.com,
4 Sep. 2025
Noun
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Although more expensive and labor-intensive, the practice replaces much of the Central Valley’s roughly 500,000 acres of rice with temporary wetlands during the winter, a semblance of how the land would naturally function without dams, and levees and civilization.—
Jake Goodrick,
Sacbee.com,
4 Sep. 2025
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Fifteen years ago, Mexican attorney Alma Barraza immersed herself in a legal fight to win fair compensation for indigent villagers who lost their property when the government seized land to build a dam.—
Ray Long,
Chicago Tribune,
3 Sep. 2025
Noun
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Park staff partially opened the valve in July after heavy rain caused water levels to overflow the dike, raising erosion concerns.—
Mary Divine,
Twin Cities,
14 Aug. 2025
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By taking down part of the old dike and building a new one farther back, the project has given the river some breathing room, expanding the floodplain.—
Christopher Elliott,
Forbes.com,
11 Aug. 2025
Noun
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The Bayfront And Barge By the water, a giant ornamental stone barge juts into Biscayne Bay, designed to resemble a Venetian boat and double as a breakwater.—
Alexandra Emanuelli,
Southern Living,
7 Aug. 2025
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Stahl said officials believe the boy drowned near the breakwaters, although that has yet to be confirmed.—
Joseph States,
Chicago Tribune,
23 July 2025
Noun
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Part of this is simple common-sense safety, a bulwark against the toxic fandoms that have come to plague life online and off.—
Matt Alt,
New Yorker,
25 Aug. 2025
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Discontent to allow this unimpressive man to roll back the seeds of women’s progress over the last decade to force them back into the reductive roles of the film’s title, the women find strength in forging their own relationship as a bulwark against Alexandre’s controlling nature.—
Jake Cole,
IndieWire,
18 Aug. 2025
Noun
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In the center of it is a drainage canal in a wide valley that is designed to hold and safely disperse water.—
Matthew Adams,
Fort Worth Star-Telegram,
8 Sep. 2025
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Resembling a minnow near the surface of the water, these rental boats come with easy instructions for beginners who are unfamiliar with how to operate the canal’s lock system along the way.—
Jason Mastrodonato,
Mercury News,
7 Sep. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Earthwork.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/earthwork. Accessed 9 Sep. 2025.
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