as in dormant
not being in a state of use, activity, or employment
the coal mine has been lying fallow since the drop in prices made it unprofitable
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Recent Examples of fallow
Chandler Rome, New York Times, 7 May 2025
Yet fallow fields in the arid climate of western Australia can sit almost unchanged for close to a century.
—Bydan Charles, science.org, 2 Jan. 2025
Laura Reiley, BostonGlobe.com, 5 Sep. 2022
Compromising probably would require money — perhaps tax money — to pay farmers to fallow their land and governments to build new canals and repair old ones.
—Los Angeles Times, 20 Feb. 2023
See All Example Sentences for fallow
Adjective
Brice Matthews, now the top position player prospect in this fallow farm system, has played better at Triple-A across the past two weeks, but is nowhere near forcing the organization’s hand for a major-league call-up.
—Chandler Rome, New York Times, 7 May 2025
Yet fallow fields in the arid climate of western Australia can sit almost unchanged for close to a century.
—Bydan Charles, science.org, 2 Jan. 2025
Verb
Many growers decided to fallow their fields and sell their water to perennial crops like almonds to defray their losses.
—Laura Reiley, BostonGlobe.com, 5 Sep. 2022
Compromising probably would require money — perhaps tax money — to pay farmers to fallow their land and governments to build new canals and repair old ones.
—Los Angeles Times, 20 Feb. 2023
See All Example Sentences for fallow
Recent Examples of Synonyms for fallow
Adjective
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As a measure of how dormant the rivalry is, the two teams have not faced each other since 2008 — a year before Thomas Muller, who will leave Bayern this summer as their record appearance-maker with 751 (so far), had even made his competitive debut.—
Sebastian Stafford-Bloor,
New York Times,
7 June 2025
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Before Thursday, the court case had become somewhat dormant since the judge had made initial rulings against Trump’s actions around Harvard student visas.—
Andy Rose,
CNN Money,
5 June 2025
Verb
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Although most of its worst winds were to the east, Dorian raked the Outer Banks with wind gusts of over 100 mph, before returning to the Atlantic Ocean, the hurricane center reported.—
Dinah Voyles Pulver,
USA Today,
6 June 2025
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Hendry went for the Standing Ovation before Williams raked his eyes.—
Ryan Gaydos,
FOXNews.com,
26 May 2025
Adjective
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Yet Shildt had a relatively rested back end of his bullpen and an off day coming up.—
Kevin Acee,
San Diego Union-Tribune,
12 June 2025
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Some takeaways from a successful series win ahead of an off day Thursday: Mayer heating up Mayer hasn’t even been in the majors for a month, but the 22-year-old has already hit three homers and is finding his groove.—
Jen McCaffrey,
New York Times,
12 June 2025
Verb
-
Wayward rhizomes that pop up as new plants can be hoed or chopped.—
Andy Wilcox,
Better Homes & Gardens,
18 Mar. 2025
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The directors branch is notoriously snobby, which will be a tough row to hoe for Wicked’s Jon M. Chu, who got his start directing films in the Step Up and G.I. Joe franchises.—
Nate Jones,
Vulture,
23 Nov. 2024
Adjective
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Earlier this month, Udoka was the subject of interest from the New York Knicks for their vacant head coaching position, one that the Rockets vehemently shut down.—
Kelly Iko,
New York Times,
19 June 2025
-
In 1870, Mississippi legislators voted 81 to 15 to elect Revels to the Senate to finish the term of one of the state’s two U.S Senate seats, which had been left vacant since the Civil War.—
Bea L. Hines,
Miami Herald,
19 June 2025
Verb
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The woman was listed in stable condition at an area hospital, according to police.—
Michelle Deal-Zimmerman,
Baltimore Sun,
19 June 2025
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Six years later, only a handful of Chinese firms, including Huatai Securities Co., have listed in London, raising a total $6.6 billion, and trading has been muted.—
Lionel Lim,
Fortune,
19 June 2025
Adjective
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These are just 11-on-11 stats compiled by SNY's Connor Hughes, but this says Jaxson Dart isn't coming to work to accept a backup position and sit idle for a year.—
Geoffrey Knox,
MSNBC Newsweek,
18 June 2025
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For companies with aspirations to list in the next 12 to 24 months, the current limbo is not a time to sit idle.—
Rene Musech,
Forbes.com,
18 June 2025
Verb
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Before the big race, the track was harrowed, bringing it to a better and drier racing surface.—
John Cherwa,
Los Angeles Times,
7 June 2025
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The research fellow who met me, Birte, was in her forties, and appeared as if she had been harrowed by her work.—
John Ganz,
Harper's Magazine,
22 May 2024
Cite this Entry
“Fallow.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/fallow. Accessed 26 Jun. 2025.
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