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, Cincinnati Enquirer, 27 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
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
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, Cincinnati Enquirer, 27 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
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 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
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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 levees need critical repairs, and sediment slows water flowing in the river channel.—
Phil Diehl,
San Diego Union-Tribune,
12 Jan. 2026
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Like a ball passing through the barriers of a pinball machine, the water flows among the components as directed by 2,200 miles of canals, 2,100 miles of levees and berms, 84 pump stations and 778 water control structures.—
Amy Green,
Miami Herald,
9 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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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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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
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
-
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 19 Jan. 2026.
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