variants
or shovelling
as in digging
to hollow out or form (something) by removing earth
the troops quickly shoveled a trench
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Recent Examples of shoveling
As the country braces for a major winter storm this weekend, heart health experts have shared warnings of the physical strain shoveling can take — particularly for older adults.
—
Amy McGorry, FOXNews.com, 23 Jan. 2026
Don’t eat a heavy meal prior or soon after shoveling.
—Marina Johnson, Louisville Courier Journal, 23 Jan. 2026
Adults over 45 should exercise caution when shoveling snow, according to a spokesperson for the American Heart Association, also call the AHA.
—Kaycee Sloan, Cincinnati Enquirer, 23 Jan. 2026
For New Englanders, shoveling snow is an all-too-familiar task, yet still a dreadful one.
—Catherine Messier, The Providence Journal, 23 Jan. 2026
Before the next snowfall hits, here's what to know about sidewalk shoveling rules.
—Quinn Clark, jsonline.com, 22 Jan. 2026
Others are afraid to leave their homes to do mundane things like getting groceries or shoveling snow and clearing ice from their sidewalks.
—Bao Phi, Time, 13 Jan. 2026
Guests can add nearly any luxury, from childcare to shoveling snow.
—David Caraccio, Sacbee.com, 11 Jan. 2026
Here's why shoveling a deck is an important wintertime chore, according to the pros.
—Lee Wallender, The Spruce, 8 Jan. 2026
Amy McGorry, FOXNews.com, 23 Jan. 2026
Don’t eat a heavy meal prior or soon after shoveling.
—Marina Johnson, Louisville Courier Journal, 23 Jan. 2026
Adults over 45 should exercise caution when shoveling snow, according to a spokesperson for the American Heart Association, also call the AHA.
—Kaycee Sloan, Cincinnati Enquirer, 23 Jan. 2026
For New Englanders, shoveling snow is an all-too-familiar task, yet still a dreadful one.
—Catherine Messier, The Providence Journal, 23 Jan. 2026
Before the next snowfall hits, here's what to know about sidewalk shoveling rules.
—Quinn Clark, jsonline.com, 22 Jan. 2026
Others are afraid to leave their homes to do mundane things like getting groceries or shoveling snow and clearing ice from their sidewalks.
—Bao Phi, Time, 13 Jan. 2026
Guests can add nearly any luxury, from childcare to shoveling snow.
—David Caraccio, Sacbee.com, 11 Jan. 2026
Here's why shoveling a deck is an important wintertime chore, according to the pros.
—Lee Wallender, The Spruce, 8 Jan. 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for shoveling
Verb
-
After eruptions in the 18th century buried farmland under ash, growers adapted by digging large pits called hoyos.—
Emily Price,
Forbes.com,
24 Jan. 2026
-
Early Tuesday evening, members of two local Native American tribes were digging three deep holes for the horses that the Forest Service had euthanized.—
Lila Seidman,
Los Angeles Times,
22 Jan. 2026
Verb
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Full removal or excavating the root system as well as the stump is an extensive project that usually requires heavy equipment, soil replacement, and regrading the area.—
Mary Marlowe Leverette,
Southern Living,
19 Jan. 2026
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The process of excavating and looking back and sifting through the wreckage of everything that happened in order to write this album has been my healing.—
Dave Quinn,
PEOPLE,
9 Jan. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Shoveling.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/shoveling. Accessed 24 Jan. 2026.
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