1
as in spraying
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
as in planting
to put or set into the ground to grow
first sow the seeds in potting soil
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
3
as in breeding
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
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Recent Examples of sowing
Plant out the seed potatoes a few weeks prior to sowing bean seeds.
—
Kim Toscano, Southern Living, 16 Apr. 2026
Cover the seed with a thin layer of straw after sowing to prevent erosion.
—David Beaulieu, The Spruce, 3 Apr. 2026
In San Martin that day, a helicopter landed, unloading between 20 and 30 soldiers who entered a property and detained five people who had been sowing grass and tending to pastures, the complaint said.
—Eduardo Cuevas, USA Today, 25 Mar. 2026
Light After sowing your seedlings, place them in a location with bright, indirect sunlight.
—Madeline Buiano, Martha Stewart, 11 Mar. 2026
Starting Veggie Seeds Outdoors (Direct) Directly sowing vegetable seeds in garden beds saves time, but subjects germinating seeds to weather, pests, and soil inconsistencies.
—Marianne Willburn, Better Homes & Gardens, 11 Mar. 2026
For some Houston voters, Tuesday’s primary was their third time casting ballots in a congressional race in four months, sowing confusion.
—Dallas Morning News, 4 Mar. 2026
Most of the casualties were Hezbollah operatives, sowing chaos among the top ranks of the group.
—Mark Mazzetti, New York Times, 29 Dec. 2024
There’s also the pregnant, endlessly vulnerable Players 222 (Jo Yu-ri) and 044 (Chae Gook-hee), who may be a mystical shaman or just an irrational, slithering kook sowing trouble and doubt.
—Tom Gliatto, People.com, 26 Dec. 2024
Kim Toscano, Southern Living, 16 Apr. 2026
Cover the seed with a thin layer of straw after sowing to prevent erosion.
—David Beaulieu, The Spruce, 3 Apr. 2026
In San Martin that day, a helicopter landed, unloading between 20 and 30 soldiers who entered a property and detained five people who had been sowing grass and tending to pastures, the complaint said.
—Eduardo Cuevas, USA Today, 25 Mar. 2026
Light After sowing your seedlings, place them in a location with bright, indirect sunlight.
—Madeline Buiano, Martha Stewart, 11 Mar. 2026
Starting Veggie Seeds Outdoors (Direct) Directly sowing vegetable seeds in garden beds saves time, but subjects germinating seeds to weather, pests, and soil inconsistencies.
—Marianne Willburn, Better Homes & Gardens, 11 Mar. 2026
For some Houston voters, Tuesday’s primary was their third time casting ballots in a congressional race in four months, sowing confusion.
—Dallas Morning News, 4 Mar. 2026
Most of the casualties were Hezbollah operatives, sowing chaos among the top ranks of the group.
—Mark Mazzetti, New York Times, 29 Dec. 2024
There’s also the pregnant, endlessly vulnerable Players 222 (Jo Yu-ri) and 044 (Chae Gook-hee), who may be a mystical shaman or just an irrational, slithering kook sowing trouble and doubt.
—Tom Gliatto, People.com, 26 Dec. 2024
Recent Examples of Synonyms for sowing
Verb
-
At Château-sur-Mer, a mansion in Newport, arborists from Bartlett Tree Experts have been spraying the canopies of the century-old beech trees in a race against time.—
Jacob Wycoff,
CBS News,
17 Apr. 2026
-
To ensure that the solution doesn’t sit on the plants, spraying them down with water during the process is always the best option.—
Jenna Sims,
Southern Living,
15 Apr. 2026
Verb
-
Earth Day on the 22nd is a wonderful anchor for habits around sustainability like planting something, spending more intentional time outside, or cutting back on single-use plastics.—
Cheryl Russell,
Oc Register,
19 Apr. 2026
-
One technique that's caught on is intercropping, says Vellimalar — planting other crops in the space between the pepper plants.—
Kamala Thiagarajan,
NPR,
19 Apr. 2026
Verb
-
Today, beef inflation rapidly outpaces regular food inflation due, in part, to severe drought conditions starting in 2022 that raised feed prices and discouraged farmers from breeding cattle.—
Tristan Bove,
Fortune,
21 Apr. 2026
-
Sanjar also has figured out that the most efficient time of year to deploy them is summer, when snakes are fattening up for breeding season in late fall.—
Bill Kearney,
Sun Sentinel,
19 Apr. 2026
Verb
-
My grandmother just kept sprinkling water and stirring until all the flour gathered into loose clumps, no longer powdery but not yet sticky.—
The Washington Post,
San Diego Union-Tribune,
15 Apr. 2026
-
The younger two brothers float paper boats in the kitchen sink and Jeremy plays along, sprinkling flour on their heads—but making the kitchen a total mess.—
Richard Brody,
New Yorker,
12 Apr. 2026
Verb
-
One of the most awesome/terrible/terribly awesome things about The Fight For Lord Stanley is that underdogs can bite and, unlike the NBA bracket, seeding can feel like just a number.—
Troy Renck,
Denver Post,
13 Apr. 2026
-
The Nuggets, who finish the season at San Antonio on Sunday night, prioritized rest over seeding.—
ABC News,
ABC News,
10 Apr. 2026
Verb
-
The crime scene stretched across multiple city blocks, with dozens of blue and yellow evidence markers dotting the pavement.—
CBS News,
CBS News,
21 Apr. 2026
-
Clean Mirrors If there are fingerprints and toothpaste remnants dotting your mirror, grab a Swiffer, glass cleaner, and a microfiber cloth.—
Melissa Locker,
Southern Living,
18 Apr. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Sowing.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/sowing. Accessed 24 Apr. 2026.
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