spade

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.

Kamara - who scored a stunning winner against Wolves last month - is viewed as almost unique, someone who can do the unglamourous spade work without the ball, at a subtle but high technical level.

From BBC • Jan. 2, 2026

When his successor Lyndon Johnson broke ground on the center in 1964, he did so with the same spade that had been used for the Lincoln Memorial in 1914 and the Jefferson Memorial in 1938.

From Salon • Jan. 1, 2026

The Trump Administration can rely on intellectual spade work from Sen. Roger Wicker, and many of the ideas we’ve discussed here are in the next defense authorization bill.

From The Wall Street Journal • Nov. 16, 2025

“I mean, call a spade a spade: Bron is on his last couple of years — however many years he decides to play,” Austin Reaves said.

From Los Angeles Times • Oct. 20, 2025

I could see some other tools as well, a spade and a rake and one of those long clippers people use for cutting branches which are too high to reach.

From "The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time" by Mark Haddon