butte

noun

Definition of buttenext
as in mountain
a type of hill with a flat top and steep sides that is found in the southwestern U.S. The otherworldly sandstone buttes of Monument Valley, Arizona are well worth a visit.

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Example Sentences

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.
Recent Examples of butte Situated on a butte at the gateway to the Theodore Roosevelt National Park, the 96,000-sq-ft (8,918-sq-m) library and museum structure practically blends into the rugged landscape. — Abhimanyu Ghoshal, New Atlas, 7 July 2026 Today, visitors can spot wildlife like bison, bighorn sheep, prairie dogs, and black-footed ferrets among the sharply eroded buttes. — Scott Bay, Travel + Leisure, 2 July 2026 The unique red rock buttes often show up in movies, calendars and magazines. — Staff, USA Today, 8 June 2026 The 244,000-acre park features a unique landscape of eroded buttes, pinnacles and spires, and contains one of the world’s richest fossil beds. — Lauren Schuster, Charlotte Observer, 4 May 2026 See All Example Sentences for butte
Recent Examples of Synonyms for butte
  1. mountain
  2. cliff
  3. mesa
  4. highland
  5. foothill
  6. plateau
Noun
  • Just be prepared for the machine to spend a considerable amount of time producing a small mountain of plastic waste alongside your masterpiece.
    — New Atlas, New Atlas, 17 Oct. 2026
  • Perfect Road, a documentary from Danish directors and cousins Adam and Christian Bonke, follows him on an extreme journey through some of Europe’s highest mountain passes, while also providing a meditation on modern life and character study.
    — Georg Szalai, HollywoodReporter, 17 Oct. 2026
Definition of mountain
Noun
  • Italy’s tourism site notes that professional divers leap from the cliffs during organized events.
    — Deirdre Bardolf, FOXNews.com, 17 Oct. 2026
  • Travelers familiar with Scotland’s Isle of Skye may recognize this recipe for remote luxury, though rather than craggy cliffs and emerald-green glens, Noirmoutier is closer to a little slice of California.
    — Laura Dannen Redman, Robb Report, 15 Oct. 2026
Definition of cliff
Noun
  • The scenery today, red rocks and flat mesas, could pass for Utah and our hike feels like a geologic safari with Nouri pointing out rock formations that resemble elephants and camels.
    — Jen Murphy, Condé Nast Traveler, 15 Oct. 2026
  • There is camping in the large campground near the entrance, but the only way to stay on the mesa is the Far View Lodge, with hotel-style rooms and a full-service restaurant.
    — R. Scott Rappold, Denver Post, 25 Sep. 2026
Definition of mesa
Noun
  • Even if tourism areas are operating as usual, communities near the fires in the mountain highlands are directly affected.
    — Jessica Puckett, Condé Nast Traveler, 14 Oct. 2026
  • After posting a picture on a random rock in the Turkish highlands on Instagram, Salah has transformed the spot into a tourist attraction, with droves of fans making the pilgrimage.
    — Justin Birnbaum, Sportico.com, 6 Oct. 2026
Definition of highland
Noun
  • Temperatures begin a cooling trend on Friday, with Moderate HeatRisk in the foothill thermal belts and in Sacramento; Minor HeatRisk elsewhere.
    — CA Weather Bot, Sacbee.com, 7 Oct. 2026
  • But in Southern California’s wealthy foothill enclaves, event promoters are regularly transforming these types of regal estates into weekend party houses filled with young people who are willing to pay to enter.
    — Jazmin Alvarado, Los Angeles Times, 11 Aug. 2026
Definition of foothill
Noun
  • Tenzing came from the higher Tibetan plateau, Hillary from New Zealand.
    — Tamara Southward, Condé Nast Traveler, 16 Oct. 2026
  • With these calories under their belts, the Californians scattered to every corner of the plateau before daybreak.
    — Erwin A. Bauer, Outdoor Life, 14 Oct. 2026
Definition of plateau

Browse Nearby Words

butt
butte
butted
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Cite this Entry

“Butte.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/butte. Accessed 20 Oct. 2026.

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More from Merriam-Webster on butte

Britannica.com: Encyclopedia article about butte

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