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
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
The disease presents growing risks not just for agricultural workers accustomed to tilling soil but also for those who move to new suburban developments or spend the weekend on a golf trip in a region where the fungus is present.
—Eduardo Cuevas, USA Today, 22 Sep. 2025
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
The disease presents growing risks not just for agricultural workers accustomed to tilling soil but also for those who move to new suburban developments or spend the weekend on a golf trip in a region where the fungus is present.
—Eduardo Cuevas, USA Today, 22 Sep. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for tilling
Verb
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Dude Perfect got big with their unique blend of sketch comedy and trick shots, cultivating a massive following on the internet.—
Austin Perry OutKick,
FOXNews.com,
24 Apr. 2026
-
Part of that is cultivating an environment for kids to be part of something bigger than themselves.—
Charles Baggarly,
Fort Worth Star-Telegram,
23 Apr. 2026
Verb
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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
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Business of Food covers how the world feeds itself in a changing economy and climate, from farming to supply chains to consumer trends.—
Stacey Vanek Smith,
Bloomberg,
23 Apr. 2026
Verb
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Don’t expect to hear the last of this for a long time, not least because police are looking into video footage that appeared to show a York player planting a left hand on a Rochdale fan amid the pandemonium.—
Phil Hay,
New York Times,
27 Apr. 2026
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Additionally, planting garlic bulbs around the perimeter of your garden can create a protective barrier against deer.—
SJ McShane,
Martha Stewart,
26 Apr. 2026
Verb
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In addition to raising livestock, canning foods, harvesting her own fruits and vegetables, crocheting and more, the country music star takes pride in her farm-to-table way of living.—
Christina Dugan Ramirez , Larry Fink,
FOXNews.com,
25 Apr. 2026
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One of Kukuiʻula’s unique amenities is the 10-acre upcountry organic farm, which provides produce and flowers for the resort community as well as opportunities for residents to connect with the land by harvesting crops, cutting tropical blooms, picnicking, or hiking and biking.—
Robb Report Studio,
Robb Report,
23 Apr. 2026
Verb
-
For gardeners who have spent years tending beds and borders, the basics can feel like second nature.—
Lauren Jarvis-Gibson,
Fort Worth Star-Telegram,
29 Apr. 2026
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James Guillory / Imagn Images OTTAWA — Ottawa Senators captain Brady Tkachuk was absent from the team’s Monday morning postmortem, tending to his wife, Emma, after the birth of their second child.—
Julian McKenzie,
New York Times,
27 Apr. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Tilling.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/tilling. Accessed 2 May. 2026.
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