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
Jason Lipshutz, Billboard, 16 Dec. 2025
The rhythm of nature is an extraordinary teacher; there is a time to be fallow and there is a time to be ripe.
—Bhanuj Kappal, Vogue, 15 Nov. 2025
Joshua Partlow, Brady Dennis and Isaac Stanley-Becker, The Washington Post, Anchorage Daily News, 4 June 2023
Congress recently allocated $4 billion in drought funding that can be used to pay farmers to fallow their land and not use their water.
—Ben Tracy, Andy Bast, CBS News, 31 Jan. 2023
See All Example Sentences for fallow
Adjective
Honestly, the best chance a song might have is coming out strong next year during a fallow chart period and just dominating for over 20 weeks.
—Jason Lipshutz, Billboard, 16 Dec. 2025
The rhythm of nature is an extraordinary teacher; there is a time to be fallow and there is a time to be ripe.
—Bhanuj Kappal, Vogue, 15 Nov. 2025
Verb
Thirsty cities increasingly look to farmers willing to fallow their fields and redirect water to urban centers.
—Joshua Partlow, Brady Dennis and Isaac Stanley-Becker, The Washington Post, Anchorage Daily News, 4 June 2023
Congress recently allocated $4 billion in drought funding that can be used to pay farmers to fallow their land and not use their water.
—Ben Tracy, Andy Bast, CBS News, 31 Jan. 2023
See All Example Sentences for fallow
Recent Examples of Synonyms for fallow
Adjective
-
Now, the local chain is preparing to anchor itself in one of the city’s most visible — and long-dormant — building.—
Nicole Buss,
Sacbee.com,
21 Mar. 2026
-
Largely dormant since the era of the 356—in no small part thanks to James Dean—the carmaker brought the name and idea back first in 1989 on the original 911 body, then again in ’94 on the new 964 platform.—
Will Sabel Courtney,
Robb Report,
19 Mar. 2026
Verb
-
Hundreds of thousands of people were left without power Saturday after high winds raked eastward from the Great Lakes region, leaving trees down and substantial property damage in their wake.—
Arkansas Online,
Arkansas Online,
15 Mar. 2026
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The wood jambs supporting your front and back entryways can quickly get coated with pollen during springtime, and mowing and raking the lawn kicks up dust and dirt that settles along the frame.—
Karen Brewer Grossman,
Southern Living,
15 Mar. 2026
Adjective
-
All of them were working in an off duty capacity, police spokesperson Officer Cynthia Wood said in an email to the Star-Telegram.—
Harrison Mantas,
Fort Worth Star-Telegram,
26 Mar. 2026
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There’s also a 12-game stretch without an off day.—
Jaylon Thompson,
Kansas City Star,
26 Mar. 2026
Verb
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Such haphazardly and closely planted crops could not be hoed, so other plants and grasses grew with the grain on the ridges.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
19 Feb. 2026
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Weeds are easy to hand-pull or hoe out when they're freshly sprouted, and their leaves and roots are still young and tender.—
Lauren Landers,
Better Homes & Gardens,
4 Feb. 2026
Adjective
-
Fields and the future Karahan teamed up with Hunt Realty as well as investors Chief Partners and Crosstie Capital in 2018 to acquire what was the largest remaining vacant property in Frisco — a tract that belonged to the estate of Dallas businessman Bert Fields.—
Nick Wooten,
Dallas Morning News,
26 Mar. 2026
-
The artistic director position has been effectively vacant for several months.—
Graham Womack,
Sacbee.com,
26 Mar. 2026
Verb
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Initially listed as questionable for the game with back spasms, Norman Powell on Sunday morning was downgraded to out because of an upper respiratory illness.—
Barry Jackson,
Miami Herald,
30 Mar. 2026
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This distinction was missing both from popular discourse, the academics felt, and from an influential definition of antisemitism associated with the International Holocaust Remembrance Alliance, which lists numerous examples of antisemitism related to criticism of Israel.—
Eyal Press,
New Yorker,
30 Mar. 2026
Adjective
-
The league-leading Avalanche (45-13-10) moved four points ahead of idle Dallas for the top spot in the Western Conference.—
CBS News,
CBS News,
21 Mar. 2026
-
Utah remained six points ahead of the idle Kings for the first wild-card spot in the Western Conference.—
Oc Register,
Oc Register,
21 Mar. 2026
Verb
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Before the big race, the track was harrowed, bringing it to a better and drier racing surface.—
John Cherwa,
Los Angeles Times,
7 June 2025
-
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
Cite this Entry
“Fallow.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/fallow. Accessed 30 Mar. 2026.
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