SHOVELS Synonyms: 15 Similar and Opposite Words

shovels

verb

present tense third-person singular of shovel

as in digs

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

Synonyms & Similar Words

Relevance

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 shovels Tyler and Cora steady a western redbud sapling as Atticus holds up a bag of soil and Eliza shovels out the fragrant earth. — Lila Seidman, Los Angeles Times, 23 May 2026 For hours under the blistering sun, Raúl Servín shovels and digs his way through days filled with pain, hope and usually frustration. — ABC News, 14 Apr. 2026 Lewis, of Madison, shovels snow during a blizzard, March 16, 2026 in Madison, Wisconsin. — Kathryn Prociv, NBC news, 17 Mar. 2026 Almost immediately in the CNN Films documentary, Chase shovels fresh dirt on himself, telling intrepid filmmaker Marina Zenovich that her task will not be easy. — Ben Crandell, Sun Sentinel, 25 Feb. 2026 Plus, shovels only work well with light, fluffy snow, as wet, heavy snow is difficult to lift and move with the tool. — Catherine Messier, The Providence Journal, 23 Jan. 2026

Recent Examples of Synonyms for shovels

Verb

Her steely vow aside, the talk show host turned media mogul digs deep while reacting to standout clips from her 40-plus years in the spotlight.

— Savannah Walsh, Vanity Fair, 21 July 2026
Its global audience has a natural interest in baseball and everyone digs dingers.

— Tony Maglio, HollywoodReporter, 13 July 2026

Definition of digs

Verb

One of the most convincing ways Reid excavates Lestat’s inner world is through the music.

— Hannah Giorgis Yohannes, Vanity Fair, 13 July 2026
Badger excavates or exposes buried infrastructure through a highly pressurized water and vacuum system and uses about 20,000 gallons of water per day, officials have said.

— Michelle Mullins, Chicago Tribune, 9 July 2026

Definition of excavates

Browse Nearby Words

shoveling

shovels

shove (off)

See all Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

Style

“Shovels.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/shovels. Accessed 24 Jul. 2026.

Copy Citation

Synonyms of shovels

verb

Example Sentences

Browse Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

More from Merriam-Webster on shovels

More from Merriam-Webster

Word of the Day

itinerant

Popular in Grammar & Usage

Democracy or Republic: What's the difference?

Merriam-Webster’s Great Big List of Words You Love to Hate

'A' or 'an'? What about before 'h'? An Indefinite Article Guide

Do you 'say your piece' or 'say your peace'?

Why is '-ed' sometimes pronounced at the end of a word?

Popular in Wordplay

It's a Scorcher! Words for the Summer Heat

The Longest Long Words List

Ten Words Ending with a Silent ‘T’

The Words of the Week - Jul 24

Why do we say 'fly off the handle'?

Popular

Democracy or Republic: What's the difference?

It's a Scorcher! Words for the Summer Heat

The Longest Long Words List

Games & Quizzes