col

noun

ˈkäl How to pronounce col (audio)
Definition of colnext
as in canyon
a narrow opening between hillsides or mountains that can be used for passage a remote col in the Alps

Synonyms & Similar Words

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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 col Jacob Whitehead will, once again, be reporting from the roads, boulevards and cols of France, and The Athletic will be publishing daily takeaways after each stage. — Duncan Alexander, New York Times, 24 June 2026 After the days of hiking through dense foliage to reach the 9,900-foot Waddington-Combatant col, the climb to the summit felt straightforward by comparison. — Corbin Reiff, Outside Online, 22 Oct. 2024 The sky was just getting light as the group put on their skis and headed for the Cabane des Vignettes—another alpine refuge, about six hours away, across high-alpine terrain filled with glaciers, cols, peaks, and magnificent slopes of unbroken snow. — Outside, 20 Sep. 2024 The highest point of the trail is at 3,008 feet, on a viewless col (the lowest point between peaks) off of Blue Mountain. — Jessica McKenzie, National Geographic, 16 Nov. 2020
Recent Examples of Synonyms for col
  1. canyon
  2. ravine
  3. gorge
  4. valley
Noun
  • This also includes the largest American variant, the western mastiff, with a wingspan of nearly two feet, and the smallest, the thumb-sized, nickel-weighing western pipistrelle, also called the canyon bat.
    — Shi En Kim, AZCentral.com, 28 Aug. 2026
  • Water Canyon Campground Water Canyon Campground is tucked away inside an oceanfront canyon on Santa Rosa Island, offering some protection from the park’s strong winds.
    — Cu Fleshman, Travel + Leisure, 27 Aug. 2026
Definition of canyon
Noun
  • The helicopter then returned to the ravine and carried out the same technical maneuver to bring the second climber to safety.
    — Stepheny Price, FOXNews.com, 25 Aug. 2026
  • At the other side of the woods the land dips into a ravine, the great trees end and dense bushes clot the bank.
    — Literary Hub, Literary Hub, 24 Aug. 2026
Definition of ravine
Noun
  • Progress has been hampered by persistent rain and challenging terrain, as crews have to work in a narrow mountain gorge, hemmed in between unstable cliffs and a fast-flowing river.
    — Reuters, NBC news, 2 Sep. 2026
  • The mother and daughter are among 90 Americans missing after the devastating landslide and flood, which tore through steep mountain gorges near the Nepal-China border and surged downstream along a river, wiping out entire villages.
    — Jessie Yeung, CNN Money, 28 Aug. 2026
Definition of gorge
Noun
  • The rocks and melted water suddenly swelled the rivers in the valleys below, causing torrents of water that swept buildings, bridges and earth downstream in Tibet and Nepal.
    — CBS News, CBS News, 28 Aug. 2026
  • Many flood-prone valleys in the country have warning alarms, but as NPR has reported, the government has struggled to keep up with the cost of maintaining the systems.
    — Ava Berger, NPR, 28 Aug. 2026
Definition of valley

Browse Nearby Words

cokeheads
col
cold
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Cite this Entry

“Col.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/col. Accessed 5 Sep. 2026.

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More from Merriam-Webster on col

Britannica.com: Encyclopedia article about col

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