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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Work hasn’t started on an additional embankment to reduce the noise, which Musselwhite said in January would take two months to finish.—
Bracey Harris,
NBC news,
26 Feb. 2026
-
Steep embankments, streams, and pond banks require extra caution.—
Nadia Hassani,
The Spruce,
22 Feb. 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
-
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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The dam is the second-highest concrete arch dam in the United States (Hoover Dam is the largest), harnessing the power of the Colorado River into Lake Powell.—
Phaedra Trethan,
USA Today,
27 Feb. 2026
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Pete McBride Advertisement Five and half decades ago, two Colorado River nemeses, Floyd Dominy of the Bureau of Reclamation (pro-dam) and David Brower of the Sierra Club (anti-dam), did just that.—
Pete McBride,
Time,
27 Feb. 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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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
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The property is located on JBR Beach, which is protected by a bay formed by peninsulas and breakwaters on two sides.—
Rob Reed,
Forbes.com,
31 Dec. 2025
Noun
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The main bulwark against joblessness—the unemployment-insurance system—wouldn’t meet the challenge.—
Annie Lowrey,
The Atlantic,
18 Feb. 2026
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Under a dual-class structure that gives Musk super-voting shares, the billionaire would establish a bulwark against activist shareholders exerting changes at the company against his wishes.—
Ryan Gould,
Fortune,
13 Feb. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Earthwork.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/earthwork. Accessed 2 Mar. 2026.
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