ditches 1 of 2

Definition of ditchesnext
plural of ditch
as in trenches
a long narrow channel dug in the earth after skidding on the ice, our car went right into the ditch

Synonyms & Similar Words

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ditches

2 of 2

verb

present tense third-person singular of ditch

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 ditches
Noun
The boundaries of the necropolis are not clearly defined, scientists said, noting modern planting pits, ditches and agricultural work have obliterated several tombs. Michelle Del Rey, USA Today, 20 Mar. 2026 The sweet steam mixed with the sour smell of leaves in ditches and marshy places along the creek. Literary Hub, 9 Mar. 2026 If outside, seek shelter in low-lying areas like ditches or ravines. Caroline Zimmerman, Kansas City Star, 6 Mar. 2026 The elaborate network of rainfall, rivulets of ditches, and control structures became a sort of language for Van Lent. Michael Adno, Rolling Stone, 3 Mar. 2026 During heavy rain, avoid parking or walking near culverts or drainage ditches, where swift-moving water can pose a serious risk. Bay Area Weather Report, Mercury News, 18 Feb. 2026 During heavy rain, avoid playing near culverts or drainage ditches, where swift-moving water can pose a serious risk. Southern California Weather Report, Oc Register, 18 Feb. 2026 In heavy rain, refrain from parking or walking near culverts or drainage ditches, where swift-moving water can pose a grave danger. Southern California Weather Report, Daily News, 18 Feb. 2026 In most of the Colorado River’s upper basin—in Colorado, Utah, New Mexico, and Wyoming—water is not collected in many reservoirs; instead, it is diverted out to thousands of small locations, from streams to irrigation ditches. Rebecca Boyle, The Atlantic, 18 Feb. 2026
Verb
OpenAI ditches video generation app Sora, and loses $1 billion from Disney. Jeremy Kahn, Fortune, 31 Mar. 2026 Just ditches her completely because of peer pressure from his rich friends. Seth Abramovitch, HollywoodReporter, 31 Mar. 2026 Season 2 ditches the courtroom for a company retreat, trading the isolated environment of a trial for the isolated environment of an offsite (at a ranch just north of Los Angeles). Ben Travers, IndieWire, 20 Mar. 2026 Nicholson wrote that the Jim Crow-era murder musical is the best kind of smart filmmaking, a barn-burner about religion and art and race that ditches the speeches for scenes of action and romance. Andrew J. Campa, Los Angeles Times, 15 Mar. 2026 Meet the Acela Trucks Dispatcher 4×4, which ditches the four-door/short-bed arrangement found on the standard Gladiator for a single cab and a massive 7’x5′ flat-load bed. Byron Hurd, The Drive, 11 Mar. 2026 Rosamund Pike ditches her signature blunt bob in the trailer for her new film, In the Grey. Hannah Malach, InStyle, 9 Mar. 2026 The relaxed outdoor atmosphere ditches the white tablecloth mentality, creating an environment where couples can genuinely be themselves. Lauren Schuster, Kansas City Star, 5 Mar. 2026 Fennell ditches the back half of the book (pretty much everything that happens after a key character’s death), while reading a great deal of unspoken desire between the lines. Peter Debruge, Variety, 9 Feb. 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for ditches
Noun
  • April showers tend not to require full-length trenches, especially as temperatures start to climb.
    Jake Henry Smith, Glamour, 1 Apr. 2026
  • Transitional outerwear also delivers, from suede bomber jackets in cobalt blue to powder-pink trenches.
    Laura Jackson, Vogue, 31 Mar. 2026
Verb
  • If a company dumps toxic waste into a local river and your children get sick and die, there is no value lost, there are no damages, no liability—the ultimate rationale for Milton Friedman’s externalization of costs.
    Andrew Behar, Fortune, 1 Apr. 2026
  • As a demo, one of the artisans dumps a sack of more than 200 bones (a gray fox, incidentally) into a random jumble on a workbench.
    Jeff Wilson, Outdoor Life, 11 Mar. 2026
Verb
  • Try the Storm Chaser, which sends you into a zero-gravity fall, catches you in a funnel, then discards you into a pool below.
    Stacey Leasca, Travel + Leisure, 18 Feb. 2026
  • At the same time, Gans discards the psychological and spatial logic that gave meaning to the original telling’s dream-like sense of disorientation.
    Alison Foreman, IndieWire, 23 Jan. 2026
Noun
  • But knowing gutters need attention and safely getting up there to clean them are two very different things.
    Lauren Jarvis-Gibson, Kansas City Star, 31 Mar. 2026
  • This guide breaks down exactly how to clean and maintain your gutters safely and effectively — no professional crew required.
    Lauren Jarvis-Gibson, Miami Herald, 31 Mar. 2026
Verb
  • Her early death, after an illness that the father initially contrives to ignore then notices just in time to capture her desperation in a fine sketch, leaves Mimí utterly disoriented, yearning only to achieve a level of self-control and detachment that will spare him their tumultuous struggle.
    Tim Parks, The New York Review of Books, 4 Apr. 2026
  • Her departure to the transfer portal leaves a significant gap in Missouri’s scoring and playmaking.
    Aaron Segal, Kansas City Star, 4 Apr. 2026
Verb
  • An oil tanker unloads crude oil at a terminal at the port in Qingdao, in China's eastern Shandong province on March 11, 2026.
    Anniek Bao, CNBC, 27 Mar. 2026
  • After his dreams are all but dashed, Shah unloads on himself.
    Ben Travers, IndieWire, 25 Mar. 2026
Noun
  • Ponds, streams, small ravines, and valleys provide drama throughout its 27 acres.
    Amy Waldman, Travel + Leisure, 9 Mar. 2026
  • If outside, seek shelter in low-lying areas like ditches or ravines.
    Caroline Zimmerman, Kansas City Star, 6 Mar. 2026
Verb
  • The deeper the water, the sooner a vehicle loses traction on the road.
    STAR-TELEGRAM WEATHER BOT, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 4 Apr. 2026
  • When that function collapses and every joke is screened for loyalty, society loses one of its best safeguards against tribal conformity.
    Robert Lynch, Chicago Tribune, 3 Apr. 2026

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Cite this Entry

“Ditches.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/ditches. Accessed 6 Apr. 2026.

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