as in cultivating
to work by plowing, sowing, and raising crops on
farmers tilling the soil from sunup to sunset
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
Example Sentences
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to
show current usage.
Read More
Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors.
Send us feedback.
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
-
Transferring household skills and cultivating emotional stability.—
Kaitlyn Schallhorn,
Oc Register,
4 May 2026
-
And with the rise of artificial intelligence and other technologies, innovative talent management strategies and state support systems, forward-thinking Maryland manufacturers have a host of new opportunities to solve the age-old challenge of cultivating the next generation of talent.—
Mike Kelleher,
Baltimore Sun,
30 Apr. 2026
Verb
-
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
-
Introduced in the 1970s, Roundup quickly became the top-selling herbicide in the United States and integral to farming.—
Maureen Groppe,
USA Today,
28 Apr. 2026
Verb
-
McCarthy has a deft way with crafting suspense in his script, leading with character first, planting conversational bombs that go off at intervals throughout the plot.—
Katie Walsh,
Twin Cities,
2 May 2026
-
Singh recommends planting it under deciduous trees or near hostas and ferns.—
Helena Madden,
Martha Stewart,
2 May 2026
Verb
-
The new limits on harvesting energy from the V6 to charge the battery on the move should reduce the potential for huge speed differentials like the one that caused Oliver Bearman’s crash in Japan, and energy management was (thankfully) not much of a topic this weekend.—
Jonathan M. Gitlin,
ArsTechnica,
4 May 2026
-
Types of Culinary Thyme Many gardeners treat culinary thyme as an annual, buying pre-started plants each spring, harvesting them throughout the summer and early fall, and then composting them at season's end.—
Andy Wilcox,
Better Homes & Gardens,
30 Apr. 2026
Verb
-
Platonic best friends Juniper and Mo could be perfectly happy tending to their cottage, ignoring the call for adventure that has Mo restless every winter and Juniper worried about losing his handsome soulmate roommate.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
1 May 2026
-
The religious men took up residence among the locals—people who spent their days tending cows and sheep, churning butter, weeding onions and turnips, scouring the forests for mushrooms, and chiseling sculptures from the local limestone.—
CBS News,
CBS News,
1 May 2026
Cite this Entry
“Tilling.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/tilling. Accessed 11 May. 2026.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
