shoveling

variants or shovelling
present participle of shovel
as in excavating
to hollow out or form (something) by removing earth the troops quickly shoveled a trench

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms

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 shoveling Hayes is now a long ways away from his teenage years shoveling driveways, and his early career as a postal-service worker. Emma Burleigh, Fortune, 30 Aug. 2025 Physical tasks like gardening, shoveling the driveway, washing the car, and cleaning the house can get your heart rate up and count as a fat-burning activity. Sherri Gordon, Health, 27 Aug. 2025 Amid hunting for clues on the case, Tom hunches over his desk, lazily shoveling sausage-and-onion sandwiches into his mouth. EW.com, 26 Aug. 2025 The 1920s briefcase is wide open, arm scraping across the table, shoveling it into the briefcase. Christopher Kamrani, New York Times, 21 Aug. 2025 Walking briskly, shovelling snow, or cycling in a winter coat can lead to overheating. Aamir Khollam, Interesting Engineering, 14 Aug. 2025 There's truly nothing like licking that paper lid, then shoveling that tiny tongue depressor into a child-sized serving of vanilla or chocolate ice cream. Tara Massouleh McCay, Southern Living, 8 Aug. 2025 Here's what to know, including how old is too old to be shoveling snow and common symptoms of a cardiac event. Amaris Encinas, USA TODAY, 8 Jan. 2025 After the man was taken to the hospital, the Overland Park firefighters stuck around and helped finish the job, shoveling the rest of the driveway. Noelle Alviz-Gransee, Kansas City Star, 7 Jan. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for shoveling
Verb
  • Other mining jobs include continuous mining machine operators, excavating/loading machine and dragline operators, and construction equipment operators.
    Noël Fletcher, Forbes.com, 29 Aug. 2025
  • Currently, the crew is still working on excavating down to the pipe to find the exact break, the company stated.
    Sally Krutzig, Idaho Statesman, 28 Aug. 2025
Verb
  • Each rock bottom has come accompanied by a shovel, as the Dodgers keep digging deeper.
    Fabian Ardaya, New York Times, 6 Sep. 2025
  • The solution is to rejuvenate your plants every two to three years by digging and dividing the clump.
    Rita Pelczar, Better Homes & Gardens, 5 Sep. 2025

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Cite this Entry

“Shoveling.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/shoveling. Accessed 10 Sep. 2025.

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