shovelful
noun
the amount held by a shovel.
shovelfuls
-
pluralof shovelful.plural
The grammatical form denoting more than one person, place, thing, or idea.
Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
When fires broke out, flames could engulf an entire train car, forcing Woods to act quickly to contain the blaze with buckets of water and shovelfuls of sand.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Apr. 18, 2026
Kneeling on the hard winter ground, the son cried again as shovelfuls of earth were thrown into the grave.
From Seattle Times ● Dec. 20, 2023
Michael Beale asked his side to give themselves a platform for the second leg in the Netherlands and, although they lacked refinement at times, shovelfuls of endeavour kept them in the tie.
From BBC ● Aug. 22, 2023
The yellow-vested teams work in areas slated for construction, carefully digging 10 feet or more into hard alluvial soil and pushing shovelfuls of dirt through course-mesh screens to gather the smallest pieces of evidence.
From Los Angeles Times ● May 22, 2023
“You can either stay there while they throw shovelfuls of sand on you or just climb out. Your choice. Not theirs.”
From "Shouting at the Rain" by Lynda Mullaly Hunt
