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
In fact, Martha and her head gardener, Ryan McCallister, have already started sowing seeds in her greenhouse to prepare for warmer weather.
—
Madeline Buiano, Martha Stewart, 7 Feb. 2026
Actions like this mass seizure risk sowing seeds of distrust in the election process.
—Irene Wright, USA Today, 4 Feb. 2026
This is a sharp example of the legal headache sowing chaos within one of the marquee sports of the Winter Games.
—Sara Germano, Sportico.com, 3 Feb. 2026
Give this a try, or like the rest of us, wait several weeks after sowing to expect the first seedlings.
—Tom MacCubbin, The Orlando Sentinel, 31 Jan. 2026
Instead of sowing the oil, Venezuela became dependent on it.
—The Atlantic, 29 Jan. 2026
Immediately after sowing seeds, place containers on a seedling heat mat or, as a no-cost alternative, on top of a refrigerator or near a radiator.
—Megan Hughes, Better Homes & Gardens, 28 Jan. 2026
Not all plants should be started by seed indoors because they are better grown by sowing seeds directly in the garden.
—Kerry Michaels, The Spruce, 21 Jan. 2026
Then Prime Minister Fumio Kishida purged those officials and pledged to cut his party’s ties to the group – but the damage was done, sowing deep public suspicion toward the LDP.
—Jessie Yeung, CNN Money, 21 Jan. 2026
Madeline Buiano, Martha Stewart, 7 Feb. 2026
Actions like this mass seizure risk sowing seeds of distrust in the election process.
—Irene Wright, USA Today, 4 Feb. 2026
This is a sharp example of the legal headache sowing chaos within one of the marquee sports of the Winter Games.
—Sara Germano, Sportico.com, 3 Feb. 2026
Give this a try, or like the rest of us, wait several weeks after sowing to expect the first seedlings.
—Tom MacCubbin, The Orlando Sentinel, 31 Jan. 2026
Instead of sowing the oil, Venezuela became dependent on it.
—The Atlantic, 29 Jan. 2026
Immediately after sowing seeds, place containers on a seedling heat mat or, as a no-cost alternative, on top of a refrigerator or near a radiator.
—Megan Hughes, Better Homes & Gardens, 28 Jan. 2026
Not all plants should be started by seed indoors because they are better grown by sowing seeds directly in the garden.
—Kerry Michaels, The Spruce, 21 Jan. 2026
Then Prime Minister Fumio Kishida purged those officials and pledged to cut his party’s ties to the group – but the damage was done, sowing deep public suspicion toward the LDP.
—Jessie Yeung, CNN Money, 21 Jan. 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for sowing
Verb
-
The scale of the war effort had necessitated the creation of a health infrastructure on American soil—spraying for mosquitoes near the front lines in the Pacific wouldn’t mean anything if soldiers caught malaria at home before deployment.—
Vann R. Newkirk II,
The Atlantic,
9 Feb. 2026
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Written and directed by Swift, the clip sees the singer fall in love with a fellow loner (Domhnall Gleeson) after spraying herself with a love potion fittingly called Opalite.—
Emlyn Travis,
Entertainment Weekly,
6 Feb. 2026
Verb
-
This step keeps cuttings from becoming overly moist after planting.—
Barbara Gillette,
The Spruce,
8 Feb. 2026
-
Once your spring seed order has arrived from your favorite seed company, waiting to start planting your seeds can be difficult.—
Lauren Landers,
Better Homes & Gardens,
8 Feb. 2026
Verb
-
The report states that the breeding population of bears is expanding into more cities and towns.—
Sasha Allen,
Hartford Courant,
31 Jan. 2026
-
Nuka had lived at the Detroit Zoo from 2011 to 2022, and then was moved to the Toledo Zoo in 2022 for breeding efforts with female polar bear Crystal.—
Paula Wethington,
CBS News,
30 Jan. 2026
Verb
-
Then, to complete the deep clean, Lane suggests, sprinkling baking soda on the bottom of the dishwasher and running a second hot cycle with no detergent.—
Melissa Locker,
Southern Living,
4 Feb. 2026
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Player props have become such a big and fun part of betting on the big game, so here are 11 that are worth sprinkling a few bucks on.—
KC Joyner,
New York Times,
31 Jan. 2026
Verb
-
The meeting could have seeding implications, with the Hawks losing what could be a tiebreaker between the two teams.—
Lauren Williams,
AJC.com,
8 Feb. 2026
-
Before the game, activists clandestinely distributed 15,000 of them to fans entering Levi’s Stadium for the Super Bowl, seeding grassroots support toward a performer who spoke up for Latinos and immigrants at the Grammy Awards last week.—
Los Angeles Times,
Los Angeles Times,
8 Feb. 2026
Verb
-
Sundance could anoint hits, dotting the industry’s creative landscape with unlikely blockbusters.—
Shirley Li,
The Atlantic,
11 Feb. 2026
-
With vacant storefronts dotting some of the city's most popular corridors, Miami Beach is rolling out a bold new strategy to revive its famed commercial districts.—
Zachary Bynum,
CBS News,
10 Feb. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Sowing.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/sowing. Accessed 15 Feb. 2026.
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