landfill

noun

land·​fill ˈlan(d)-ˌfil How to pronounce landfill (audio)
Synonyms of landfillnext
1
: an area built up by landfill
2
: a system of trash and garbage disposal in which the waste is buried between layers of earth to build up low-lying land

called also sanitary landfill

landfill transitive verb

Synonyms of landfill

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Examples of landfill in a Sentence

using landfill to dispose of trash Part of the city was built on landfill.
Recent Examples on the Web
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.
But every year, millions end up in a landfill after a single use, and many are made from synthetic plastics that don't easily break down, contributing to environmental pollution. — Arkansas Online, 24 Oct. 2026 But the sudden evolution of the improbably shaped and hyperabundant broiler chicken will be unmissable because the osseous debris of our fowl hunger—drumsticks and wing bones and oversized sternums—winds its way into landfills. — Literary Hub, 23 Oct. 2026 Those initiatives require producers to pay to ensure their packaging and other waste is recycled rather than going to a landfill at the end of its lifecycle. — Jennifer Bringle, Footwear News, 22 Oct. 2026 Deck said 20,000 to 25,000 tons of bone-dry biomass are available each year at the landfill. — Nicole Buss, Sacbee.com, 21 Oct. 2026 See All Example Sentences for landfill

Word History

First Known Use

1903, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Time Traveler
The first known use of landfill was in 1903

Phrases Containing landfill

Rhymes for landfill

See All Rhymes for landfill

Browse Nearby Words

landfast
landfill
landflood
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Cite this Entry

“Landfill.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/landfill. Accessed 27 Oct. 2026.

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Kids Definition

landfill

noun
land·​fill -ˌfil How to pronounce landfill (audio)
1
: a system of trash and garbage disposal in which the waste is buried between layers of earth
2
: an area built up by landfill
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