topsoil

noun

Definition of topsoilnext
as in loam

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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 topsoil If your lawn grass was already quite thin, topdressing with a thin layer of quality topsoil is recommended. — Mary Marlowe Leverette, The Spruce, 4 Sep. 2026 The weather phenomenon has been known to intensify the yearly Harmattan winds, which dry out topsoil and cause pods to fall. — Paige Bruton, semafor.com, 2 Sep. 2026 Apply a thin layer of compost and topsoil during active growing seasons to boost nutrients and improve drainage. — Helena Madden, Martha Stewart, 29 Aug. 2026 Research after previous wildfires found that up to 34% of properties still contained hazardous contamination, such as heavy metals, even after the debris had been removed and the topsoil scraped away. — Andrew J. Whelton, The Conversation, 11 Aug. 2026 See All Example Sentences for topsoil
Recent Examples of Synonyms for topsoil
  1. loam
  2. humus
  3. clay
  4. gravel
  5. mud
  6. sand
  7. earth
Noun
  • Such fraudulence bore only poisoned fruit, swelling overseas bank accounts for the Manchurian candidates who were seeding duplicity into the loam of their nation’s imagination.
    — Literary Hub, Literary Hub, 6 Aug. 2026
  • Given time enough, gravity will return those rocks to their long sleep in the loam.
    — Matt Seaton, The Atlantic, 19 July 2026
Definition of loam
Noun
  • Plant seeds in neutral, well-draining soil rich with humus, and give it an inch of water per week.
    — The Spruce, The Spruce, 24 Sep. 2026
  • This includes decaying plant and animal residues, humus, and living microorganisms.
    — Rae Ford, Martha Stewart, 8 June 2026
Definition of humus
Noun
  • Daffodils, alliums, crocuses and snowdrops are somewhat more tolerant of clay soil than other bulbs.
    — Beth Botts, Chicago Tribune, 4 Oct. 2026
  • For three years, as Israeli bombs made ruins of the ground, some of the trees and vines had clung to life in the spongy layer of clay below.
    — Ghada Abdulfattah, Christian Science Monitor, 2 Oct. 2026
Definition of clay
Noun
  • Conversely, modern concrete is subject to irreversible decay, a form of disintegration owing to its formation as a composite of cement and aggregate materials, such as gravel and sand.
    — Jeffrey Weiss, Artforum, 1 Oct. 2026
  • But this year, portions of the river have been transformed into stretches of dry sand and gravel, while farmers have kept hayfields green by running their wells and pumps.
    — Ian James, Los Angeles Times, 1 Oct. 2026
Definition of gravel
Noun
  • The ground level would sink, the water would seep up, and the horses’ hooves would trudge through mud.
    — Literary Hub, Literary Hub, 28 Sep. 2026
  • American and its allies must get private software developers in the mud with soldiers.
    — Dan Driscoll, Foreign Affairs, 28 Sep. 2026
Definition of mud
Noun
  • What to do nearby Naples's famously soft sand is only a block and a half away.
    — Condé Nast, Condé Nast Traveler, 29 Sep. 2026
  • More than a century later, remains believed to be from the ship have continued to emerge from the sand.
    — Leah Willingham, Los Angeles Times, 29 Sep. 2026
Definition of sand
Noun
  • The best way to care for the earth is to fall in love with nature.
    — 9 Team, Los Angeles Times, 30 Sep. 2026
  • Crockett's ex-Dem colleague goes scorched earth after endorsement snub.
    — , FOXNews.com, 30 Sep. 2026
Definition of earth

Browse Nearby Words

top-shelf
topsoil
topsoils
See all Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Topsoil.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/topsoil. Accessed 7 Oct. 2026.

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