shovel

verb

Definition of shovelnext
as in to dig
to hollow out or form (something) by removing earth the troops quickly shoveled a trench

Synonyms & Similar Words

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms

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 shovel Rocky’s job of the day turned out to be shoveling the steps and sidewalks of the church, which was on a corner lot and had about a block’s length of sidewalk. — Tom Drury, Harpers Magazine, 29 Sep. 2026 Locals and government officials were clearing debris and shoveling thick mud coating much of the town. — Eugene Garcia, Chicago Tribune, 25 Sep. 2026 Several parody videos of people shoveling dessert into their mouths also circulated on social media. — Kayla Hayempour, NBC news, 25 Sep. 2026 Moments after an incredibly warm greeting, Quinn shoveled coal into the flames and stuck an iron in the forge. — Sarah Wood González, Condé Nast Traveler, 21 Sep. 2026 See All Example Sentences for shovel
Recent Examples of Synonyms for shovel
  1. dig
  2. excavate
Verb
  • The music on Uncle feels innate, as if Funkhouser had dug these songs out from deep within the crawlspace in his brain.
    — Jeff Yerger, Pitchfork, 19 Oct. 2026
  • George sometimes strolled across town to the Boneyard Boccie Club, founded in 1946 by Italian immigrants who moved to Benton to dig coal.
    — Christopher Borrelli, Chicago Tribune, 18 Oct. 2026
Definition of dig
Verb
  • But the archaeologists who excavated the new skeletal fragments from Shanidar Cave in the Kurdistan region of Iraq say the fossils weave a complex tale of Neanderthal life and death, beyond what appeared to be deliberate violence.
    — Katie Hunt, CNN Money, 15 Oct. 2026
  • The current trend of excavating video game nostalgia continues with this latest cinematic adaptation of the popular franchise that dates all the way back to 1987.
    — Frank Scheck, HollywoodReporter, 15 Oct. 2026
Definition of excavate

Browse Nearby Words

shoved (off)
shovel
shoveled
See all Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

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

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More from Merriam-Webster on shovel

Britannica.com: Encyclopedia article about shovel

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