Is "American soil" is a synonym of "American territory"?
Native speaker’s answer
Rebecca
Yes you are right, "soil" in this context refers to "land" or "territory". So "American soil" is "American land" or "American territory". However, the word "soil" in this context cannot always be replaced with "territory", but can be replaced with "territory" when it is used in reference to the territory of a nation. Ex: You are on Canadian soil. Ex: The U.S. military troops were stationed on French soil.