shovel

as in to dig
to hollow out or form (something) by removing earth the troops quickly shoveled a trench

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Example Sentences

Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Recent Examples of shovel He's also noticed that workers often shovel coal in bouts, working hard in teams of two or three, and then all taking breaks together. Jonathan Lambert, NPR, 18 May 2025 The genius minds behind shoveling money in the general direction of shiny and mostly television-shaped content at Apple TV+ have hit on a genius premise: What if there was a French chef who had a little earring? Jackson McHenry, Vulture, 8 May 2025 The father pleads for his life as dirt is being shoveled in his face, unable to understand what Vahid is doing this for. Pete Hammond, Deadline, 20 May 2025 Then, workers shovel lots and lots of coal as the bricks fire, firming them up. Jonathan Lambert, NPR, 18 May 2025 See All Example Sentences for shovel
Recent Examples of Synonyms for shovel
Verb
  • Accordingly, this summer’s SHPO dig uncovered both metal assay materials and household artifacts.
    Alex Music, Idaho Statesman, 21 June 2025
  • Support journalism that digs deeper into topics that matter most to Arkansans.
    Eric E. Harrison, Arkansas Online, 21 June 2025
Verb
  • But every early cathode-ray tube color television owed its screen’s red hue to europium, a rare earth element excavated and processed exclusively at the Mountain Pass Mine in San Bernardino County.
    Charlie Campbell, Time, 17 June 2025
  • Overall, archaeologists are thrilled to get the opportunity to excavate and preserve the grave, since historic sites like this one are often destroyed by farmers’ plows.
    Sarah Kuta, Smithsonian Magazine, 17 June 2025

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Cite this Entry

“Shovel.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/shovel. Accessed 2 Jul. 2025.

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