tilling

verb

present participle of till
as in cultivating
to work by plowing, sowing, and raising crops on farmers tilling the soil from sunup to sunset

Synonyms & Similar Words

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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 tilling This is one reason no-till gardening focuses on disturbing only the soil where plants are placed rather than broadly tilling large areas. — Anthony Reardon, Kansas City Star, 19 Aug. 2026 Repeatedly tilling clay worsens soil compaction, so only do this the first year. — Brandee Gruener, Southern Living, 29 July 2026 Root vegetables like potatoes and carrots require some degree of tilling to harvest at scale and is less damaging to soil health than glyphosate. — Andrew Watman, Forbes.com, 21 July 2026 The soil, Hakena Hulitt said, was hard, dry and cracked from being farmed with heavy machinery, and has been rejuvenated with compost, tilling and learning how to keep weeds at bay without pesticides. — Amy Lavalley, Chicago Tribune, 29 June 2026 Others are tilling similar ground, with MS NOW working to launch a broadband subscription offering that focuses on its community of viewers. — Brian Steinberg, Variety, 16 June 2026 Prevent ant hills by maintaining trimmed grass, removing debris, tilling soil, and planting pest-repellent herbs like mint or basil. — Lauren Landers, Better Homes & Gardens, 1 June 2026 Wormser suggests tilling the ground and covering it with black plastic to deprive existing grass and weeds of sunlight. — Ann Hinga Klein, Martha Stewart, 28 Apr. 2026 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
Recent Examples of Synonyms for tilling
  1. cultivating
  2. farming
  3. planting
  4. harvesting
  5. tending
Verb
  • The intervention of Allied troops on the White Russian side in the Russian Civil War deepened Bolshevik paranoia, and Bolshevik leaders concluded that hostile powers would always seek to destroy Russia by cultivating internal enemies.
    — Andrei Soldatov, Foreign Affairs, 31 Aug. 2026
  • According to royal insider Rob Shuter, the Duke and Duchess of Sussex are very interested in cultivating a close relationship with Charles.
    — Lizzie Lanuza, StyleCaster, 31 Aug. 2026
Definition of cultivating
Verb
  • Farming communities across producing regions are watching the next generation weigh up whether organic agriculture, or even farming at all, is worth committing to.
    — Bart Vollaard, Footwear News, 2 Sep. 2026
  • Novelist and poet Wendell Berry spent his life farming his land for food and for prose.
    — Tilda Wilson, NPR, 1 Sep. 2026
Definition of farming
Verb
  • Since New England aster will grow relatively tall, Rekola recommends planting it near the back of a perennial border in full sun.
    — Marisa Suzanne Martin, The Spruce, 29 Aug. 2026
  • Global diesel demand typically crests around October as the beginning of winter heating season and harvests in the Northern Hemisphere meets planting season in the Southern Hemisphere.
    — Boston Herald Wire Services, Boston Herald, 27 Aug. 2026
Definition of planting
Verb
  • This allows energy-harvesting technology to be integrated directly into architectural elements, such as skyscraper facades, glass windows, and skylights.
    — Mrigakshi Dixit, Interesting Engineering, 26 Aug. 2026
  • Agent Mulder, hot on the trail of a group of murderers who are harvesting their victims' organs, breaks into a makeshift laboratory in an attempt to save an abducted woman.
    — Brett Tingley, Space.com, 13 Aug. 2026
Definition of harvesting
Verb
  • Best Amazon End-of-Season Gardening and Lawn Deals Your days tending to the garden may be coming to an end, but there’s no better time to re-up on green-thumb essentials than now.
    — Maria Conti, Better Homes & Gardens, 1 Sep. 2026
  • By how his wife took charge of his care, while tending to their two small children, right to the end.
    — Michael Collins, USA Today, 27 Aug. 2026
Definition of tending

Browse Nearby Words

tillers
tilling
tills
See all Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Tilling.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/tilling. Accessed 5 Sep. 2026.

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