as in breastworks
a raised bank or wall made of soil
prehistoric earthworks
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Recent Examples of earthworks
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
Andrew Scherer, a professor of archaeology and the ancient world, also at Brown, said the sheer size of the earthworks, their early age and the lack of a significant social hierarchy made the site particularly interesting.
—Katie Hunt, CNN Money, 5 Nov. 2025
Amir Daftari, MSNBC Newsweek, 7 Dec. 2025
Andrew Scherer, a professor of archaeology and the ancient world, also at Brown, said the sheer size of the earthworks, their early age and the lack of a significant social hierarchy made the site particularly interesting.
—Katie Hunt, CNN Money, 5 Nov. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for earthworks
Noun
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But the flooding would be less powerful than at the old site, Wing said, and its impact could be lessened by elevating the hospital or building earthen embankments.—
Brett Kelman,
CBS News,
9 Feb. 2026
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Cars were also forced off the road and shoved into embankments.—
Kathryn Prociv,
NBC news,
20 Jan. 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
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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
Noun
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As the national anthem played following their victories, Smith and Carlos expressed their anger about racial injustice in America by bowing their heads and raising their fists.—
Los Angeles Times,
Los Angeles Times,
14 Feb. 2026
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Chair-heads are sourcing used Chipotle chairs for their homes—the natural wood and iron look is pretty inoffensive, to be fair.—
Sam Stone,
Bon Appetit Magazine,
14 Feb. 2026
Noun
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Hidden in the northwest corner of downtown Austin, just a few blocks from the Texas capitol, the Judges Hill neighborhood is home to some of the city’s most significant architectural history.—
Katherine Owen,
Southern Living,
15 Feb. 2026
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Victor Wembanyama led Team World with 14 points, six rebounds and three blocks.—
Broderick Turner,
Los Angeles Times,
15 Feb. 2026
Noun
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Potentially dangerous ice dams are starting to give way all around the area.—
Ross Guidotti,
CBS News,
11 Feb. 2026
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Elsewhere, lakes are drying up, and dams are flooding millennia-old villages and historic sites.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
10 Feb. 2026
Noun
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Officials had worried that a system of dikes along the Skagit River would fail, and potentially inundate parts of Mount Vernon, a riverside town of about 35,000.—
Evan Bush,
NBC news,
13 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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Of the first cities to be incorporated in California, Marysville retains its place as the smallest, with about 13,000 people within its borders sealed by a ring of levees that protect the city.—
Jake Goodrick,
Sacbee.com,
5 Feb. 2026
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The Santa Venetia neighbors may not be too alarmed at this point, but the county says the levees are a problem now.—
John Ramos,
CBS News,
21 Jan. 2026
Noun
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In recent weeks, the relentless barrages have damaged some of Ukraine’s protected world heritage sites in Odesa, the western city of Lviv and the capital, Kyiv, UNESCO said Tuesday.—
Kamila Hrabchuk,
Los Angeles Times,
27 Jan. 2026
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The fighting included fighter jet sorties, exchanges of rocket fire and artillery barrages.—
CNN Money,
CNN Money,
31 Dec. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Earthworks.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/earthworks. Accessed 19 Feb. 2026.
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