1
a
: a hand implement consisting of a broad scoop or a more or less hollowed out blade with a handle used to lift and throw material
b
: something that resembles a shovel
c
: an excavating machine
especially
: a hydraulic diesel-engine driven power shovel
2
shoveled or shovelled; shoveling or shovelling
ˈshə-və-liŋ 
ˈshəv-liŋ
1
: to take up and throw with a shovel
2
: to dig or clean out with a shovel
3
: to throw or convey roughly or in a mass as if with a shovel
shoveled his food into his mouth
: to use a shovel
Examples of shovel in a Sentence
Verb
He is outside shoveling snow.
I have to shovel the driveway.
I had to shovel for an hour to clear the driveway.
The snow was so deep we had to shovel a path to our front door.
Stop shoveling food into your mouth.
Recent Examples on the Web
Hayley Cuccinello, CNBC, 10 July 2025
Use a rake and shovel to clear leaves, sticks, and wood chips from your yard, and a leaf blower for any fine particles.
—Karen Brewer Grossman, Southern Living, 27 June 2025
Judy Berman, Time, 10 July 2025
Some concerns, such as the amount of sidewalk that has to be shoveled on corner lots, don't translate into anyone being against sidewalks, per se, city officials said.
—Jim Riccioli, jsonline.com, 8 July 2025
See All Example Sentences for shovel
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show current usage.
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Noun
Investing in the picks and shovels of sports also comes with a lower barrier to entry.
—Hayley Cuccinello, CNBC, 10 July 2025
Use a rake and shovel to clear leaves, sticks, and wood chips from your yard, and a leaf blower for any fine particles.
—Karen Brewer Grossman, Southern Living, 27 June 2025
Verb
The episode ends with the buzz of the alarm at 6:45 a.m., as Jess shovels cold pho into her mouth in preparation for another exhausted workday.
—Judy Berman, Time, 10 July 2025
Some concerns, such as the amount of sidewalk that has to be shoveled on corner lots, don't translate into anyone being against sidewalks, per se, city officials said.
—Jim Riccioli, jsonline.com, 8 July 2025
See All Example Sentences for shovel
Cite this Entry
“Shovel.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/shovel. Accessed 22 Jul. 2025.
Copy CitationKids Definition
shovel
2 of 2 verb
shoveled or shovelled; shoveling or shovelling
ˈshəv-(ə-)liŋ
1
: to lift and throw with a shovel
shovel snow
2
: to dig or clean out with a shovel
shovel out the sheep pens
3
: to throw or carry roughly or in a mass as if with a shovel
stop shoveling the food into your mouth
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