loam

noun

Definition of loamnext
as in topsoil
a type of soil that is good for growing plants

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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 loam Is the soil a porous, well-draining loam, or a rocky clay that will be hard to dig in and harder to drain? — Anthony Reardon, Kansas City Star, 25 Feb. 2026 Asparagus prefers soil with plenty of organic matter, and that's well-drained, with an almost sandy-loam consistency. — Samantha Johnson, Martha Stewart, 23 Feb. 2026 The soils, shaped by glacial activity, consist of sandy loam and glacial till, offering excellent drainage and contributing natural minerality. — Michael Johnson, Twin Cities, 23 Feb. 2026 But the conflict between Joe and Ted goes back further and is rooted in a deep loam of backstory that emerges bit by bit. — Richard Brody, New Yorker, 5 Sep. 2025 See All Example Sentences for loam
Recent Examples of Synonyms for loam
  1. topsoil
  2. humus
  3. clay
  4. mud
  5. gravel
  6. sand
  7. earth
Noun
  • Crews are working six days a week on sod installation, new topsoil installation, aeration, seeding and other turf restoration, organizers said.
    — Sara Tenenbaum, CBS News, 8 Oct. 2026
  • But when drought struck Oklahoma and surrounding states, as drought regularly did, the topsoil dried out and blew away.
    — Daniel Immerwahr, New Yorker, 28 Sep. 2026
Definition of topsoil
Noun
  • In garden beds, a light layer of shredded leaves acts as natural mulch, insulating roots and conserving soil moisture while breaking down into humus over time.
    — Pam Rosendal, Denver Post, 27 Sep. 2026
  • 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
Definition of humus
Noun
  • The 25th-seeded Spaniard, who won the ATP 250 Chengdu Open in China last month, reached the second Masters final of his career after losing on clay at Monte Carlo in 2022.
    — ABC News, ABC News, 17 Oct. 2026
  • And yet, for a millennia after the fall of Rome, the world largely forgot about concrete, until, in the 18th century, an English mason found that mixing limestone and clay could form a paste that hardened underwater.
    — Sara Herschander, Vox, 15 Oct. 2026
Definition of clay
Noun
  • On the final day of making the world within her new album, Remi Wolf created mud.
    — Selena Fragassi, SPIN, 12 Oct. 2026
  • But danger remained as waves crashed into beachfront homes in Long Beach, large rocks and mud hurtled down a mountain onto a highway south of Palm Desert, and flood water submerged the parking lot of a casino on the Las Vegas Strip.
    — Fedor Zarkhin, Los Angeles Times, 11 Oct. 2026
Definition of mud
Noun
  • View gallery - 6 images Although it's now long been standard for multi-speed mountain and gravel bikes to have a single chainring and no front derailleur, that arrangement can be hard on the chain.
    — New Atlas, New Atlas, 13 Oct. 2026
  • Prior to her role as DHS secretary, Noem infamously wrote in her memoir about killing her 14-month-old dog, Cricket, by shooting the animal in a gravel pit.
    — Charisma Madarang, Rolling Stone, 12 Oct. 2026
Definition of gravel
Noun
  • Beaches typically go through a seasonal cycle with powerful winter waves dragging sand out to sea and more mild summer waves depositing the sand back onshore.
    — Hannah Fry, Los Angeles Times, 12 Oct. 2026
  • The storm made landfall Friday near Destin, Florida, a Gulf Coast area known for powdery white-sand beaches and dotted with vacation homes, waterfront bars, and seafood shacks.
    — Erika Angulo, NBC news, 11 Oct. 2026
Definition of sand
Noun
  • The collection is organized around sun, sea and earth elements and was developed with perfumers Yann Vasnier, Christine Hassan, Rodrigo Flores-Roux, Caroline Sabas and Shyamala Maisondieu at Givaudan.
    — Kathryn Hopkins, Footwear News, 13 Oct. 2026
  • Their quest becomes more difficult every year, however, as the remains of pre-Columbian trees slough back into the earth or are dug up to make way for agriculture and construction.
    — M. R. O’Connor, New Yorker, 12 Oct. 2026
Definition of earth

Browse Nearby Words

loafs
loam
loams
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Cite this Entry

“Loam.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/loam. Accessed 20 Oct. 2026.

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More from Merriam-Webster on loam

Britannica.com: Encyclopedia article about loam

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