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as in land
the solid part of our planet's surface as distinguished from the sea and air at the first sound of gunfire we hit the dirt

Synonyms & Similar Words

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as in dung
solid matter discharged from an animal's alimentary canal tread carefully, as there's cow dirt all over the pasture

Synonyms & Similar Words

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 dirt Use the brush attachment of your vacuum cleaner to suck up dirt and dust over all these areas. Ashlyn Needham, Southern Living, 17 Jan. 2025 His coat was clumped together with dirt and matting. Michael Gfoeller and David H. Rundell, Newsweek, 16 Jan. 2025 The denizens of Fort Bridger are all covered in dirt and grime. Erik Kain, Forbes, 11 Jan. 2025 Chances are items, possibly returns to stores, shoes, and outerwear have accumulated, along with extra grass, dirt, and dust on the entryway tables and floors. Rebecca Jones, Southern Living, 11 Jan. 2025 See all Example Sentences for dirt 
Recent Examples of Synonyms for dirt
Noun
  • That would allow those troops to be used in civilian law enforcement on U.S. soil.
    Lolita C. Baldor and Tara Copp, Los Angeles Times, 23 Jan. 2025
  • The order directs federal agencies to stop issuing citizenship documents such as passports to children born on U.S. soil to parents in the country illegally or under temporary visas.
    Melissa Quinn, CBS News, 23 Jan. 2025
Noun
  • In addition to targeting Hamas in Gaza, Israel established effective land and air blockades that severed Iranian troop movements and logistics into Syria for Hezbollah by the end of 2023.
    Nicole Grajewski, Foreign Affairs, 28 Jan. 2025
  • The jury clearly believed that, with so much GOON violence going on, AIM activists likely would feel entitled to shoot first and ask questions later if any strangers appeared unannounced on their land.
    Joe Leydon, Variety, 28 Jan. 2025
Noun
  • This season, the valley bottom is still soggy with slush and muck—difficult conditions to work in for forester and fourth-generation Idaho local Chad Ramsay.
    Katie Bradish, Outside Online, 15 Jan. 2025
  • Inside mountains like these are crushed up bits of black-shale formations, which form from the organic muck accumulated at the bottom of seas, heated and compressed over time.
    Justin Nobel, Harper's Magazine, 2 Jan. 2025
Noun
  • Hundreds of barefoot pilgrims undertook a parikrama one morning, picking around heaps of cow dung dotting the road.
    Omkar Khandekar, NPR, 5 Jan. 2025
  • With antivenom hard to find in rural areas, some snakebite victims pay traditional healers with a chicken or a small goat to apply herbs, bones and even dung.
    Brian Otieno, New York Times, 6 Jan. 2025
Noun
  • With the lubricated ground shifting, at times, nine to 12 inches a week, utility companies shut off electricity, gas and internet for hundreds of homes.
    Hailey Branson-Potts, Los Angeles Times, 24 Jan. 2025
  • Hegseth has also said on Shawn Ryan's show that women should not be allowed in ground combat units.
    Tom Bowman, NPR, 24 Jan. 2025
Noun
  • This number does not include sewage backups into buildings.
    Michael Gfoeller And David H. Rundell, Newsweek, 15 Jan. 2025
  • In December, the coastal area around Salt Creek in Dana Point was closed after 3,375 gallons of sewage spilled into the sea.
    Andrew J. Campa, Los Angeles Times, 15 Jan. 2025
Noun
  • Even those Republicans who are wary of his volatile leadership style, penchant for vulgarity and willingness to violate conservative orthodoxies are generally reluctant to air those criticisms publicly.
    Mike Lillis, The Hill, 21 Dec. 2024
  • Corbet’s awkward forcing of his characters into his conceptual framework leads to absurdities and vulgarities—not least in the depiction of László’s first and only Black acquaintance, a laborer named Gordon (Isaach De Bankolé), as a heroin addict.
    Richard Brody, The New Yorker, 3 Jan. 2025
Noun
  • The exterior is made of water-resistant suede to shield your toes from water, snow, and mud, and the padded heel collar prevents ankle blisters.
    Amelia McBride, Travel + Leisure, 21 Jan. 2025
  • The bottom can also at times be limestone, not squishy mud, which again contributes to the unique coloring.
    Kaitlyn Yarborough, Southern Living, 18 Jan. 2025

Thesaurus Entries Near dirt

Cite this Entry

“Dirt.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/dirt. Accessed 1 Feb. 2025.

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