1
as in to spray
to cover by or as if by scattering something over or on
sow the fields with maize in early spring, and the crop should be ready by late summer
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
2
3
as in to breed
to set permanently in the consciousness or mind-set
a malicious neighbor who sowed within him nagging suspicions about his wife
Synonyms & Similar Words
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 sow
Fossil fuel companies, along with associated political groups and think tanks, are carrying out sophisticated campaigns that sow doubt about climate solutions, the research found.
—
Emma Woollacott, Forbes.com, 24 June 2025
Iranian cyberattacks against the United States in recent years have had mixed results and may be more of an attempt to sow fear than use of an actual ability to cause real damage, said John Hultquist, the chief analyst at Google’s Threat Intelligence Group.
—Chelsea Chan, NBC news, 24 June 2025
Soil preparation for reseeding and sowing a new lawn takes a little more effort.
—Kim Toscano, Southern Living, 12 June 2025
What Americans need are choices, not mandates, and honesty about the consequences of losing our energy advantage or sowing the seeds of a new energy crisis.
—Edward Cross, Chicago Tribune, 10 June 2025
See All Example Sentences for sow
Emma Woollacott, Forbes.com, 24 June 2025
Iranian cyberattacks against the United States in recent years have had mixed results and may be more of an attempt to sow fear than use of an actual ability to cause real damage, said John Hultquist, the chief analyst at Google’s Threat Intelligence Group.
—Chelsea Chan, NBC news, 24 June 2025
Soil preparation for reseeding and sowing a new lawn takes a little more effort.
—Kim Toscano, Southern Living, 12 June 2025
What Americans need are choices, not mandates, and honesty about the consequences of losing our energy advantage or sowing the seeds of a new energy crisis.
—Edward Cross, Chicago Tribune, 10 June 2025
See All Example Sentences for sow
Recent Examples of Synonyms for sow
Verb
-
Videos appears to show an agent taking out a red bottle and spraying it at Hipolito within inches of his eyes, and Hipolito swiping back.—
Brittny Mejia,
Los Angeles Times,
27 June 2025
-
Make sure to check spray arms and filters regularly for clogs and mineral deposits.—
Brandee Gruener,
Southern Living,
26 June 2025
Verb
-
How well plants are equipped to manage heat depends not only on the type of plant (cool-season vs. heat-loving plants) but also on their growth stage (newly planted vs. established and mature).—
Megan Hughes,
Better Homes & Gardens,
28 June 2025
-
Landscapers are spreading the good word: Never plant a Bradford pear (Pyrus calleryana).—
Mary Marlowe Leverette,
Southern Living,
28 June 2025
Verb
-
The residue from earlier high tide lines — wrack lines, as they are called — sits just outside some of the fencing around the nest, even pushing through it in spots, jeopardizing the habitat these birds need to breed.—
Jan Ellen Spiegel,
Hartford Courant,
23 June 2025
-
Iranians are also religious and ethnic minorities in the wider world, and that has bred existential fears of foreign conquest.—
Robin Wright,
New Yorker,
23 June 2025
Verb
-
Allow cookies to cool completely before sprinkling powdered sugar on the walnut cookies.—
Lillian Ali,
Smithsonian Magazine,
17 June 2025
-
The Steelers also sprinkled in Cover 2 on about 12 percent of snaps (20th) and some other split-field coverages like Cover 6 (quarter, quarter, half).—
Mike DeFabo,
New York Times,
16 June 2025
Verb
-
But, like all industrious publishers, Dunton had broader ambitions: to seed new publics for his writing.—
Merve Emre,
New Yorker,
16 June 2025
-
The company said the drop was caused by a substantial increase in marketing expenditure deployed in seeding new international markets.—
Tianwei Zhang,
Footwear News,
16 June 2025
Verb
-
The rest of the cast creates a convincing family, given and found, around our hero, and there are details aplenty that help the show stick: Jokes are peppered in consistently enough to recognize each character as much more than a vehicle for exposition.—
Ben Travers,
IndieWire,
24 June 2025
-
The judge peppered Reuveni with questions: How was Abrego Garcia seized?—
Andrea Hsu,
NPR,
23 June 2025
Verb
-
Some critics of Sunday hunting argue that Sundays are a day of recreation by many non-hunters who would be disturbed — or potentially put in harm’s way — if hunters were allowed to shoot on Sundays.—
Stephen Underwood,
Hartford Courant,
23 June 2025
-
Cooper DeJean was put in a sticky situation over the weekend.—
Justin Grasso,
MSNBC Newsweek,
23 June 2025
Cite this Entry
“Sow.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/sow. Accessed 3 Jul. 2025.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
Share