1
as in to spray
to cover by or as if by scattering something over or on sow the fields with maize in early spring, and the crop should be ready by late summer

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2
as in to plant
to put or set into the ground to grow first sow the seeds in potting soil

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms

3
as in to breed
to set permanently in the consciousness or mind-set a malicious neighbor who sowed within him nagging suspicions about his wife

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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 sow The administration emailed 2 million federal workers with a legally murky offer to resign, sowing widespread confusion and anger. Allison Morrow, CNN, 4 Feb. 2025 The changes have sown fear in the federal workforce, and mixed messaging from the White House and various federal agencies has caused broad confusion over what happens next. Franco Ordoñez, NPR, 3 Feb. 2025 The tariffs also sow disarray among erstwhile allies — partners who, like the U.S. under former President Joe Biden, have looked to weaken Russia's leadership and economy with punitive measures designed to stymy Moscow's economic and geopolitical power. Holly Ellyatt, CNBC, 3 Feb. 2025 See photos from the red carpet See the full list of Grammy winners A South Side gathering of Black intellectuals set the stage for Black History Month The seeds of Black History Month were sown more than 100 years ago in the South Side YMCA at 3763 S. Wabash Ave., Chicago. Chicago Tribune, 3 Feb. 2025 See All Example Sentences for sow
Recent Examples of Synonyms for sow
Verb
  • Other footage from inside the mall showed damaged walls in the aftermath of the blast, with water spraying from broken pipes.
    Jessie Yeung, CNN, 13 Feb. 2025
  • But those perfect plants don’t grow that way without assistance; they are sprayed routinely with fungicides and insecticides, especially organophosphates, which kill insects by interfering with their nervous systems.
    Maryn McKenna, Scientific American, 13 Feb. 2025
Verb
  • Fortunately, most vegetable seeds are easy–they can be planted right away.
    Andy Wilcox, Better Homes & Gardens, 15 Feb. 2025
  • The style had been around since at least the ‘80s, and back then, it was firmly planted in our cultural mindset as a garment reserved solely for mothers.
    Elisabeth Sherman, Parents, 14 Feb. 2025
Verb
  • Animal welfare organizations have long advocated for regulating purebred breeders, due to the many purebred pets that face neglect or abandonment after being bred in unsanitary conditions or for profit, something that Helen Woodward Animal Center echoes.
    Tom Rogers, Newsweek, 21 Feb. 2025
  • Shirley poppies, bred from corn poppies outside Shirley, England, in the 1880s, come up in red, pink, rose, lilac, salmon and white.
    Joshua Siskin, Orange County Register, 15 Feb. 2025
Verb
  • Pour remaining egg mixture over top and sprinkle with sliced almonds.
    Anna Theoktisto, Southern Living, 13 Feb. 2025
  • Because of this, Keatley suggests eating beans at least 12 to 24 hours before a workout and consistently sprinkling them throughout your diet, focusing on smaller servings at each sitting versus larger ones to minimize side effects.
    Korin Miller, Outside Online, 12 Feb. 2025
Verb
  • Camarillo, seeded No. 1 in Division 2AA, won 66-62 on the road against Glendora.
    Eric Sondheimer, Los Angeles Times, 15 Feb. 2025
  • But when determining between a seed line with two teams that have similar total bodies of work, the team playing better recently is far more likely to be seeded higher, even if losses to the other team were competitive.
    Mark Schindler, The Athletic, 14 Feb. 2025
Verb
  • McFadden peppered both sides with questions during arguments over a lawsuit the AP filed Friday saying that its 1st Amendment rights were being violated by the ban, which began gradually two weeks ago.
    Matt Sedensky, Los Angeles Times, 24 Feb. 2025
  • Less than 24 hours after Smart’s trade from the Memphis Grizzlies to the Washington Wizards became official, youngsters Bilal Coulibaly and Bub Carrington peppered him with questions about how to become better defenders.
    Josh Robbins, The Athletic, 20 Feb. 2025
Verb
  • This solid base provided by the energy of Ollie Rathbone and George Dobson helped the defence put in one of their more polished collective displays, certainly since Cambridge United’s surprise 2-2 draw at the SToK Cae Ras on December 14 heralded a notable drop-off in form.
    Richard Sutcliffe, The Athletic, 23 Feb. 2025
  • More than half a million Haitians in the United States will face the threat of deportation in a few months, after the Trump administration revoked an extension of Temporary Protected Status that had been put in place by the Biden administration.
    Jacqueline Charles, Miami Herald, 22 Feb. 2025

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“Sow.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/sow. Accessed 1 Mar. 2025.

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