as in embankment
a raised bank or wall made of soil
—usually plural
prehistoric earthworks
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Recent Examples of earthwork
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
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
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
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
Brett Kelman, CBS News, 9 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
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
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 pickup struck a utility pole on the embankment and rolled over.—
Paula Wethington,
CBS News,
10 Apr. 2026
-
Francisco Zapata Nájera, 42, was working in a gold mine in the northern Mexican state of Sinaloa on March 25 when an embankment collapsed and a dam burst, leaving him stuck 985 feet below the surface, per the BBC, ABC and NBC.—
Adam England,
PEOPLE,
10 Apr. 2026
Noun
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Military engineers resorted to building lower, thicker ramparts, backed by earth, and sought to eliminate blind spots by building angular bastions — the aforementioned extrusions.—
Big Think,
Big Think,
27 Mar. 2026
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In a calmer corner of the ramparts, over-looking the bay, Loyda Rosa’s pioneering plant-forward restaurant, Verde Mesa, has helped lay the foundations for the island’s flourishing farm-to-table scene since launching in 2009.—
Ben Olsen,
Condé Nast Traveler,
8 Feb. 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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Declines in groundwater levels have in recent years caused household wells to sputter and run dry, streams and wetlands to dry up, and land to sink, damaging canals and levees.—
Ian James,
Los Angeles Times,
9 Apr. 2026
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The cost of upgrading the local levee is about three times the town's total annual budget.—
Rebecca Hersher,
NPR,
30 Mar. 2026
Noun
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State and local teams are working closely with the Michigan Department of Natural Resources and the dam owner; however, there is still no exact time for when the hydroelectric plant will be fully operational.—
Terrance Friday,
CBS News,
17 Apr. 2026
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Elgin Fire Department, which took advantage of the situation to do training at the Kimball Street dam and off Walton Island Thursday, is prepared to manage flood areas and assist with evacuations they be needed, Beecher-Crotty said.—
Gloria Casas,
Chicago Tribune,
17 Apr. 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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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
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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
Noun
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If TaxWatch is not your thing, then cruise the website of the real estate industry, a bulwark of the Republican Party.—
Steve Bousquet,
The Orlando Sentinel,
15 Apr. 2026
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If TaxWatch is not your thing, then cruise the website of the real estate industry, a bulwark of the Republican Party.—
Steve Bousquet,
Sun Sentinel,
11 Apr. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Earthwork.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/earthwork. Accessed 20 Apr. 2026.
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