as in embankment
a raised bank or wall made of soil
—usually plural
prehistoric earthworks
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Recent Examples of earthwork
Residents allege that approving earthwork without a site plan prevents meaningful public review and undermines environmental and infrastructure protections, court documents state.
—
Deborah Laverty, Chicago Tribune, 9 Feb. 2026
According to those standards and Google Earth elevation data, that could require earthwork to raise the ground of the Unicoi site by at least 8 feet and as much as 18 feet before construction.
—Brett Kelman, CBS News, 9 Feb. 2026
The backstory People have been drawn to these magical 40 acres for centuries– the name comes from a Narragansett earthwork that once stood here, which to European settlers resembled a castle.
—Todd Plummer, Condé Nast Traveler, 4 Feb. 2026
As the seat of the Kingdom of Benin, the city was renowned for monumental earthworks and extraordinary bronze artistry.
—Amir Daftari, MSNBC Newsweek, 7 Dec. 2025
See All Example Sentences for earthwork
Deborah Laverty, Chicago Tribune, 9 Feb. 2026
According to those standards and Google Earth elevation data, that could require earthwork to raise the ground of the Unicoi site by at least 8 feet and as much as 18 feet before construction.
—Brett Kelman, CBS News, 9 Feb. 2026
The backstory People have been drawn to these magical 40 acres for centuries– the name comes from a Narragansett earthwork that once stood here, which to European settlers resembled a castle.
—Todd Plummer, Condé Nast Traveler, 4 Feb. 2026
As the seat of the Kingdom of Benin, the city was renowned for monumental earthworks and extraordinary bronze artistry.
—Amir Daftari, MSNBC Newsweek, 7 Dec. 2025
See All Example Sentences for earthwork
Recent Examples of Synonyms for earthwork
Noun
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The pickup overturned multiple times, veered off the roadway, went down an embankment and crashed into a tree, CHP officials said.—
Caleb Lunetta,
San Diego Union-Tribune,
6 May 2026
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In the footage, a rescuer is seen using a rope to reach the man by scaling down the side of the embankment, which dips hundreds of feet below the High Steel Bridge in northwestern Washington's Mason County.—
Emily Mae Czachor,
CBS News,
3 May 2026
Noun
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Our stroll began outside the medieval gate—only residents can drive through the stone ramparts—and ended with an aperitif on the square.—
Kevin West,
Travel + Leisure,
8 May 2026
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Located in the idyllic region of Ripollès, the ramparts of castle Llaés look out upon both the Pyrenees and bucolic hillsides where goats graze.—
Erika Owen,
Architectural Digest,
29 Apr. 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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While the land up for sale is currently undeveloped, it's bordered by a neighborhood to its north and south, a river levee to the east, and a public road to the west.—
Cecilio Padilla,
CBS News,
15 May 2026
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In April, officials noticed new damage to the levee.—
John Ryan,
NPR,
3 May 2026
Noun
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The agency will also work with law enforcement to increase security around the dam.—
Robert McGreevy,
FOXNews.com,
15 May 2026
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Cheaper hydropower Low-head micro hydropower systems can generate up to 100 kilowatts (kW) of electricity at smaller dams and waterways.—
Georgina Jedikovska,
Interesting Engineering,
15 May 2026
Noun
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Constructing protective structures such as levees and dikes can help, as can preserving natural landscapes, such as wetlands and estuaries that can act as a natural sponge to absorb floodwaters, in and near the cities, Shao and her colleagues wrote.—
Adam Kovac,
Scientific American,
22 Apr. 2026
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The dikes would consist of walls surrounding the city, separating it from the lagoon, Lionello said.—
Julia Jacobo,
ABC News,
16 Apr. 2026
Noun
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Investigators say initial reports said that a bass boat had hit a breakwater, which is a long wall usually built by the shore to reduce erosion.—
Dan Raby,
CBS News,
27 Apr. 2026
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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
Noun
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Over the last year, the Taiwanese Navy has been practicing the rapid deployment of cheap and domestically produced smart mines for the sea — a potential bulwark against enemy blockades of ports and hostile invasion forces.—
Los Angeles Times,
Los Angeles Times,
12 May 2026
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Spirit’s collapse is now driving a sequence of events that is a setback for a local economy that counts on aviation as one of its bulwark industries.—
David Lyons,
Sun Sentinel,
4 May 2026
Cite this Entry
“Earthwork.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/earthwork. Accessed 18 May. 2026.
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