as in dormant
not being in a state of use, activity, or employment
the coal mine has been lying fallow since the drop in prices made it unprofitable
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Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of fallow
Bydan Charles, science.org, 2 Jan. 2025
Experts agree that an important key to rebuilding salmon runs is increasing the frequency and duration of shallow flooding in riverside riparian areas, or even fallow rice paddies — a program Katz has helped develop through his career.
—Alastair Bland | Calmatters, Mercury News, 16 Apr. 2025
Laura Reiley, BostonGlobe.com, 5 Sep. 2022
Compromising probably would require money — perhaps tax money — to pay farmers to fallow their land and governments to build new canals and repair old ones.
—Los Angeles Times, 20 Feb. 2023
See All Example Sentences for fallow
Adjective
Yet fallow fields in the arid climate of western Australia can sit almost unchanged for close to a century.
—Bydan Charles, science.org, 2 Jan. 2025
Experts agree that an important key to rebuilding salmon runs is increasing the frequency and duration of shallow flooding in riverside riparian areas, or even fallow rice paddies — a program Katz has helped develop through his career.
—Alastair Bland | Calmatters, Mercury News, 16 Apr. 2025
Verb
Many growers decided to fallow their fields and sell their water to perennial crops like almonds to defray their losses.
—Laura Reiley, BostonGlobe.com, 5 Sep. 2022
Compromising probably would require money — perhaps tax money — to pay farmers to fallow their land and governments to build new canals and repair old ones.
—Los Angeles Times, 20 Feb. 2023
See All Example Sentences for fallow
Recent Examples of Synonyms for fallow
Adjective
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Summer heat and dry conditions slow down turfgrass growth; drought-tolerant grass turns dormant, a natural protective response to adverse conditions.—
Megan Hughes,
Better Homes & Gardens,
2 June 2025
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While most hosts of the parasite can control the initial infection with few if any symptoms, Toxoplasma remains in the body for life as dormant cysts in brain, heart and muscle tissue.—
Bill Sullivan,
The Conversation,
28 May 2025
Verb
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Those waterfowl sure can rake … putting 13 runs on upstart Liberty to get back to the World Series stage.—
Steven Louis Goldstein,
New York Times,
29 May 2025
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Last year the Village Board voted to require Oak Park homeowners residents to bag their leaves instead of just raking their leaves into the street as they had been accustomed to doing.—
Bob Skolnik,
Chicago Tribune,
15 May 2025
Adjective
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For those who aren’t seeking beach time, the island also was praised for offering historic sites, golf courses and other off-shore activities.—
Simone Jasper,
Miami Herald,
3 June 2025
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After an off day Thursday, the Arizona Diamondbacks come to GABP for three games.—
C. Trent Rosecrans,
New York Times,
2 June 2025
Verb
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Wayward rhizomes that pop up as new plants can be hoed or chopped.—
Andy Wilcox,
Better Homes & Gardens,
18 Mar. 2025
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The directors branch is notoriously snobby, which will be a tough row to hoe for Wicked’s Jon M. Chu, who got his start directing films in the Step Up and G.I. Joe franchises.—
Nate Jones,
Vulture,
23 Nov. 2024
Adjective
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Housing has emerged as a key issue in this year’s mayoral race as the city reels from skyrocketing rents and a dearth of vacant apartments, and there’s widespread agreement more units must be built.—
Chris Sommerfeldt,
New York Daily News,
6 June 2025
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Hartford Prints! has taken over a vacant storefront next door, has broken down a wall and joined the two spaces.—
Kenneth R. Gosselin,
Hartford Courant,
1 June 2025
Verb
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Teel, 23, is ranked the No. 2 prospect in the Sox organization by MLB.com, which also lists him as the No. 26 prospect in baseball.—
LaMond Pope,
Chicago Tribune,
7 June 2025
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To keep up with the events of the evening, Entertainment Weekly will be updating our 2025 Tony Award winners list live throughout the night.—
Maureen Lee Lenker,
EW.com,
6 June 2025
Adjective
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In a busy warehouse, for instance, human workers and multiple robots performing different tasks—often from different vendors—need a unified system that ensures smooth collaboration, avoiding collisions and idle time.—
Florian Pestoni,
Forbes.com,
4 June 2025
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The result is that homes are sitting idle on the market, forcing sellers to offer price cuts to lure in buyers.—
Giulia Carbonaro,
MSNBC Newsweek,
3 June 2025
Verb
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The research fellow who met me, Birte, was in her forties, and appeared as if she had been harrowed by her work.—
John Ganz,
Harper's Magazine,
22 May 2024
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Plus, Shin Ha-young is given little to do in the second half of the series despite her effortless shift from warm third wheel to harrowed and weary abuse victim.—
Geoffrey Bunting,
Rolling Stone,
26 Oct. 2023
Cite this Entry
“Fallow.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/fallow. Accessed 10 Jun. 2025.
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