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
-
The story centers on Zha, a janitor at a bankrupt, long-shuttered film studio who retreats into a virtual world, cultivating an online romance and dreaming of a voyage to the Moon.—
Naman Ramachandran,
Variety,
18 May 2026
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These guerrilla pop-ups launched the heartland quartet – singer Tyson Ritter, lead guitarist Nick Wheeler, rhythm guitarist Mike Kennerty and drummer Chris Gaylor – into a world of TikToks and Instagram posts, simultaneously cultivating a fan base decades younger than the now-middle-aged rockers.—
Melissa Ruggieri,
USA Today,
16 May 2026
Verb
-
Our family has been farming in Florida for a century, and the success of the family business is rooted in environmental stewardship and sustainability.—
Sammy Duda,
The Orlando Sentinel,
12 May 2026
-
The signature treatment is the dotsho, or hot stone bath, a ritual locals have practiced for generations to ease joint pain, arthritis, and the toll of long winters spent farming.—
Condé Nast,
Condé Nast Traveler,
6 May 2026
Verb
-
The problem is that the AI is misleadingly planting very sour ideas in my head and could easily push me into a much worse mental condition.—
Lance Eliot,
Forbes.com,
16 May 2026
-
Kapuga nods to men digging mud out of shin-deep water, preparing the paddy fields for planting rice.—
Diaa Hadid,
NPR,
16 May 2026
Verb
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Landscape designer Ben Gordon of Metropolitan Garden and Design notes that harvesting the outer leaves first allows the inner leaves to continue growing, with many varieties ready to harvest by April or May.—
Lauren Jarvis-Gibson,
Kansas City Star,
13 May 2026
-
Cut-and-come-again is a gardening practice that involves harvesting only the outer, mature leaves of the plant, leaving young leaves or root systems alone.—
SJ McShane,
Martha Stewart,
11 May 2026
Verb
-
As head of the military in the 1980s, Raúl began delegating jobs to his soldiers outside the battlefield, including tending plots of land to increase produce and livestock production.—
Drew Pittock,
USA Today,
20 May 2026
-
Why does tending to, holding space for and acknowledging organizational grief matter?—
Sohee Jun,
Forbes.com,
18 May 2026
Cite this Entry
“Tilling.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/tilling. Accessed 21 May. 2026.
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