as in cultivating
to work by plowing, sowing, and raising crops on
farmers tilling the soil from sunup to sunset
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Recent Examples of tilling
Additionally, tilling wet soil can do more harm than good by creating dense soil layers and deep ruts.
—
Nora Doonan, Hartford Courant, 4 Apr. 2026
Aggressive turning or tilling harms microorganisms, kills beneficial insects and earthworms, increases erosion, removes air pockets, releases carbon into the atmosphere and brings dormant weed seeds to the surface, where conditions are perfect for their growth.
—ABC News, 23 Mar. 2026
The grass and roots can then be raked out after tilling the soil and before planting flowers.
—Mary Marlowe Leverette, Southern Living, 11 Mar. 2026
Prep the planting spot by tilling the soil to a depth of 10 to 12 inches.
—Lauren Landers, Better Homes & Gardens, 7 Mar. 2026
Data center details Heavy construction machines began surveying and tilling the earth at 501 North Bly Road in November, much to the surprise of Bly Road residents, who say they weren’t warned by the city.
—Ilana Arougheti, Kansas City Star, 6 Mar. 2026
Tractors pass by, tilling the soil.
—David Fear, Rolling Stone, 17 Jan. 2026
The disease presents growing risks not just for agricultural workers accustomed to tilling soil but also for those who move to new suburban developments or spend the weekend on a golf trip in a region where the fungus is present.
—Eduardo Cuevas, USA Today, 22 Sep. 2025
Farmlands to wetlands George Tibbitts mostly farms rice, but his son Carson was tilling a safflower field on one mid-August morning.
—Jake Goodrick, Sacbee.com, 4 Sep. 2025
Nora Doonan, Hartford Courant, 4 Apr. 2026
Aggressive turning or tilling harms microorganisms, kills beneficial insects and earthworms, increases erosion, removes air pockets, releases carbon into the atmosphere and brings dormant weed seeds to the surface, where conditions are perfect for their growth.
—ABC News, 23 Mar. 2026
The grass and roots can then be raked out after tilling the soil and before planting flowers.
—Mary Marlowe Leverette, Southern Living, 11 Mar. 2026
Prep the planting spot by tilling the soil to a depth of 10 to 12 inches.
—Lauren Landers, Better Homes & Gardens, 7 Mar. 2026
Data center details Heavy construction machines began surveying and tilling the earth at 501 North Bly Road in November, much to the surprise of Bly Road residents, who say they weren’t warned by the city.
—Ilana Arougheti, Kansas City Star, 6 Mar. 2026
Tractors pass by, tilling the soil.
—David Fear, Rolling Stone, 17 Jan. 2026
The disease presents growing risks not just for agricultural workers accustomed to tilling soil but also for those who move to new suburban developments or spend the weekend on a golf trip in a region where the fungus is present.
—Eduardo Cuevas, USA Today, 22 Sep. 2025
Farmlands to wetlands George Tibbitts mostly farms rice, but his son Carson was tilling a safflower field on one mid-August morning.
—Jake Goodrick, Sacbee.com, 4 Sep. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for tilling
Verb
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Sports franchises also care a great deal about cultivating and retaining repeat fans, particularly season-ticket holders, who provide a steady source of revenue.—
John Cassidy,
New Yorker,
20 Apr. 2026
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One garden tip Nielsen recommends when cultivating purple coneflower is to work compost into the soil at least two weeks before transplanting or planting coneflower seeds.—
SJ McShane,
Martha Stewart,
16 Apr. 2026
Verb
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Farm worker sent back to Guatemala Ed Densieski's family has been farming in East Quogue for more than 100 years.—
Jennifer McLogan,
CBS News,
14 Apr. 2026
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Logan had recently stepped away from farming land near the project, and the food truck—serving burgers, chicken, gumbo, and rice and beans—seemed like a way to build a new livelihood without leaving the community.—
Sharon Goldman,
Fortune,
26 Mar. 2026
Verb
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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
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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
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Its temperature remains at -10C all year round, which is the temperature Peller sets for harvesting its ice wine grapes.—
Kalpana Fitzpatrick,
TheWeek,
15 Apr. 2026
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At the core of this diversity lies agriculture, which has for centuries defined the rhythm of life through the cycle of sowing and harvesting crops.—
Tamanna Nangia,
Encyclopedia Britannica,
10 Apr. 2026
Verb
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During the long trek back to Earth, Canadian astronaut Jeremy Hansen reminded viewers that appreciating and tending Earth doesn’t require the journey of a lifetime.—
Meghan Bartels,
Scientific American,
22 Apr. 2026
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Planting a tree or tending to a garden is a simple way for individuals to contribute to the climate fight, Chris Cerveny, a soil science and agronomy expert and co-founder of Just Good Soil, an agricultural company that focuses on regenerative gardening practices, told ABC News.—
Julia Jacobo,
ABC News,
22 Apr. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Tilling.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/tilling. Accessed 24 Apr. 2026.
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