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
Wormser suggests tilling the ground and covering it with black plastic to deprive existing grass and weeds of sunlight.
—
Ann Hinga Klein, Martha Stewart, 28 Apr. 2026
The film mostly exists as an exercise in further tilling personal earth that Romvari previously traversed in her short films.
—Richard Lawson, HollywoodReporter, 16 Apr. 2026
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
Ann Hinga Klein, Martha Stewart, 28 Apr. 2026
The film mostly exists as an exercise in further tilling personal earth that Romvari previously traversed in her short films.
—Richard Lawson, HollywoodReporter, 16 Apr. 2026
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
Recent Examples of Synonyms for tilling
Verb
-
Kokopeli’s South Park characters operate similarly, these widely recognizable models becoming a flexible tool for cultivating and capturing the nostalgic interest of the artist’s viewers.—
Theo Belci,
Artforum,
2 June 2026
-
The storytelling is as important as the mise-en-scène—the bar is named for the poet-boxer Arthur Cravan, who spent his life cultivating a mysterious, unconventional persona.—
Mary Winston Nicklin,
Condé Nast Traveler,
1 June 2026
Verb
-
What the measurements reveal continues to surprise those farming the vineyards and making the wine.—
Michelle Williams,
Forbes.com,
27 May 2026
-
Climate change, caused by the burning of gas, oil and coal, has made farming a number of crops increasingly challenging over the years, experts say, and wheat is no exception.—
ABC News,
ABC News,
20 May 2026
Verb
-
Consider planting seeds for a second harvest of okra, squash, and cucumbers that mature quickly.—
Mary Marlowe Leverette,
Southern Living,
31 May 2026
-
Try planting a ring of parsley around the trunks of apple trees as part of a fruit guild, or grow a few parsley plants in pots and move them beneath the trees when the parsley starts flowering.—
Lauren Landers,
Better Homes & Gardens,
30 May 2026
Verb
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Last year, the singer found himself at the center of the high-fence hunting debate after harvesting a world-record Transcaspian urial ram at Texas' Covered S Ranch.—
Amber Harding OutKick,
FOXNews.com,
3 June 2026
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But a farmer harvesting 150 bushels of corn per year from a field must replenish the nutrients to grow corn again the next year.—
Jackie Flynn Mogensen,
Scientific American,
1 June 2026
Verb
-
Tackling a personal to-do list alongside others is a double-duty activity that combines the satisfaction of tending to necessary chores with the no less vital work of nurturing relationships.—
ABC News,
ABC News,
3 June 2026
-
That's the reverse of recent elections, which saw more Democrats voting by mail and Republicans tending to vote in person on Election Day.—
Marisa Lagos,
NPR,
3 June 2026
Cite this Entry
“Tilling.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/tilling. Accessed 6 Jun. 2026.
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