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
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
Expect seeds to emerge 4 to 7 days after sowing.
—Megan Hughes, Better Homes & Gardens, 21 Jan. 2026
The civil administration that runs the region said Damascus was intent on sowing divisions between Arabs and Kurds.
—Reuters, NBC news, 18 Jan. 2026
The mayor called on ICE agents to leave the city, asserting that federal immigration authorities were ripping families apart and sowing chaos on Minneapolis streets.
—Juliana Kim, NPR, 7 Jan. 2026
Trump had been sowing doubts about the integrity of the election since before the voting even started.
—Jamie Thompson, The Atlantic, 6 Jan. 2026
Advertisement But physicians, immunologists, and other medical experts have criticized the move as sowing distrust of vaccines and creating confusion among patients and healthcare providers.
—Miranda Jeyaretnam, Time, 6 Jan. 2026
By sowing the seeds in January, the cold temperatures will boost the germination rate.
—Mary Marlowe Leverette, Southern Living, 4 Jan. 2026
If planting from seed, Matter advises sowing seeds at the soil surface and covering them lightly.
—Rachel Gillett, Martha Stewart, 29 Dec. 2025
Jessie Yeung, CNN Money, 21 Jan. 2026
Expect seeds to emerge 4 to 7 days after sowing.
—Megan Hughes, Better Homes & Gardens, 21 Jan. 2026
The civil administration that runs the region said Damascus was intent on sowing divisions between Arabs and Kurds.
—Reuters, NBC news, 18 Jan. 2026
The mayor called on ICE agents to leave the city, asserting that federal immigration authorities were ripping families apart and sowing chaos on Minneapolis streets.
—Juliana Kim, NPR, 7 Jan. 2026
Trump had been sowing doubts about the integrity of the election since before the voting even started.
—Jamie Thompson, The Atlantic, 6 Jan. 2026
Advertisement But physicians, immunologists, and other medical experts have criticized the move as sowing distrust of vaccines and creating confusion among patients and healthcare providers.
—Miranda Jeyaretnam, Time, 6 Jan. 2026
By sowing the seeds in January, the cold temperatures will boost the germination rate.
—Mary Marlowe Leverette, Southern Living, 4 Jan. 2026
If planting from seed, Matter advises sowing seeds at the soil surface and covering them lightly.
—Rachel Gillett, Martha Stewart, 29 Dec. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for sowing
Verb
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The team suggests that this cloud may have been created when two planets orbiting J0705+0612 slammed into each other, spraying out dust, rocks, and other debris.—
Robert Lea,
Space.com,
23 Jan. 2026
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But instead of prioritizing touching the paint then spraying the ball out to an open shooter, the Knicks have spiraled into iso-ball, over-dribbling and tough shots.—
Kristian Winfield,
New York Daily News,
21 Jan. 2026
Verb
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For best results, choose a rich potting mix and amend garden soil with compost before planting.—
Lauren Landers,
The Spruce,
7 Jan. 2026
-
When planting pea seeds, proper soil preparation is essential.—
Madeline Buiano,
Martha Stewart,
7 Jan. 2026
Verb
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Researchers used remote control cameras to photograph penguins breeding in dozens of colonies from 2011 to 2021.—
Seth Borenstein,
Los Angeles Times,
21 Jan. 2026
-
Instead, Carnahan, who’s made other weighty masculine dramas such as Narc, The Grey, and Copshop, is mostly devoted to exploring how a large sum of money starts breeding suspicion among colleagues.—
David Sims,
The Atlantic,
21 Jan. 2026
Verb
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Cameras caught a clergy member sprinkling a little holy water on the Acrisure Stadium turf about two hours before kickoff on Sunday.—
CBS News,
CBS News,
6 Jan. 2026
-
In the second season of Andor, Tony Gilroy continued his indictment of rising fascism, sprinkling the sci-fi tropes with grandstanding political drama, the impending doom of an action thriller, and a helping of French-resistance imagery, then tossing it all in a blender.—
Roxana Hadadi,
Vulture,
1 Dec. 2025
Verb
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In July, after rampant flooding claimed more than 130 lives in the Texas Hill Country, false rumors started to spread on social media that Coogan and Hays’s friend Augustus Doricko had contributed to the bad weather with his cloud-seeding company Rainmaker.—
Julia Black,
Vanity Fair,
8 Jan. 2026
-
Playoff seeding matters, especially to this Denver team.—
Tony Jones,
New York Times,
6 Jan. 2026
Verb
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With rows of sash windows dotting a vintage red and brown brick facade, Anmer Hall is the picture of classic Georgian charm.—
Bailey Bujnosek,
InStyle,
16 Jan. 2026
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Most of the hotels dotting its slopes are surrounded by vineyards and showcase trailblazing cooking and the bounty of the volcanic soil.—
Rosalyn Wikeley,
Condé Nast Traveler,
10 Jan. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Sowing.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/sowing. Accessed 24 Jan. 2026.
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