as in breastworks
a raised bank or wall made of soil
prehistoric earthworks
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Recent Examples of earthworks
Lantern Light Magic End the day with the Lantern Light Tour at Ocmulgee Mounds National Historical Park, where the night sky transforms the ancient earthworks into an unforgettable experience.
—
Rafael Peña, Miami Herald, 20 Mar. 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
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
Rafael Peña, Miami Herald, 20 Mar. 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
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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Slopes or embankments are classified by their gradient (vertical rise over 100 feet).—
The San Diego Union Tribune,
San Diego Union-Tribune,
14 Mar. 2026
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It was shortened again by the construction of embankments in 1835 or 1836 and in 1838.—
Encyclopedia Britannica,
Encyclopedia Britannica,
4 Mar. 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 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
Noun
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The younger two brothers float paper boats in the kitchen sink and Jeremy plays along, sprinkling flour on their heads—but making the kitchen a total mess.—
Richard Brody,
New Yorker,
12 Apr. 2026
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Ordinary humans like Stephen’s selfish boss are depicted as giant walking eggs, while others are proportioned like bobble heads.—
Wilson Chapman,
IndieWire,
11 Apr. 2026
Noun
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Spurs rookie Carter Bryant had 13 points, including a dunk over Jokic, along with five rebounds, five assists and three blocks.—
ABC News,
ABC News,
12 Apr. 2026
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The 6-foot-7 senior has three straight seasons averaging at least 14 points, nine rebounds, three assists and two blocks while shooting better than 58% from the field.—
Matthew Coller,
Twin Cities,
12 Apr. 2026
Noun
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To help replenish groundwater, check dams – small, temporary structures across waterways – have been constructed in Kabul’s 14 districts, and thousands of absorption wells that help manage stormwater have been dug, Abid said.—
ABC News,
ABC News,
13 Apr. 2026
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Biologists say salmon populations have declined due to a combination of factors, including dams, which have blocked off spawning areas, the loss of vital floodplain habitats and global warming, which is intensifying droughts and causing warmer temperatures in rivers.—
Ian James,
Los Angeles Times,
12 Apr. 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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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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But farming communities nationwide have been adversely affected by the president's tariff policy, as global trading partners scaled back agricultural purchases like soybeans in retaliation for higher levees.—
Jennifer Jacobs,
CBS News,
17 Mar. 2026
Noun
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The north especially has been affected by what locals have described locals as nonstop barrages, especially since Hezbollah joined the war.—
Max Burman,
NBC news,
6 Apr. 2026
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Russia has taken aim at Ukraine’s power grid, and overnight barrages hit energy infrastructure in Chernihiv, Sumy, Kharkiv and Dnipro regions, Zelensky said.—
Derek Gatopoulos,
Los Angeles Times,
6 Apr. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Earthworks.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/earthworks. Accessed 19 Apr. 2026.
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