Definition of escarpmentnext
as in cliff
a steep wall of rock, earth, or ice the castle sits atop an escarpment that for hundreds of years made it virtually invulnerable to attack

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 escarpment Just as the sun prepared to sink beyond the escarpments, its rays struck every piece of the fractured glass resting on top of the window frames, alighting all of them at once, as if they were shot with electricity. — New York Times, 16 Mar. 2026 As the sun dropped and the temperature fell, Scarabeo Roches Noires emerged on the horizon, a small cluster of white tents perched on a rocky escarpment. — Fergus Scholes, TheWeek, 30 Jan. 2026 Outside, stone cladding and turf roofs help the buildings blend into the escarpment. — Nicholas Derenzo, AFAR Media, 29 Jan. 2026 At 5 o’clock the sun dropped behind Steamboat Mountain, a towering escarpment that overshadows the entire area. — William J. McRae, Outdoor Life, 26 Nov. 2025 See All Example Sentences for escarpment
Recent Examples of Synonyms for escarpment
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
Noun
  • As an earthwork with a wooden palisade, however, much less of Antonius’s wall has survived the ensuing millennia.
    — Matthew Wills, JSTOR Daily, 21 Sep. 2026
  • The optical illusion reminded early settlers of the blockades of wooden stakes, or palisades, built around forts to ward off threats.
    — Literary Hub, Literary Hub, 13 May 2026
Noun
  • Crater Lake National Park, Oregon Prepare to be awestruck during your first view of Crater Lake, a massive cobalt waterway flanked by a dome of steep crag.
    — Stephanie Vermillion, Travel + Leisure, 9 Aug. 2026
  • But, typical of Hockney portraiture, the resulting drawings magnificently captured every crag in Auden’s impossibly craggy face.
    — Mark Rozzo, Vanity Fair, 12 June 2026
Noun
  • Red Beach, given its distinctive color by iron deposits, can be reached by a demanding hike around the bluff.
    — Rick Steves, Washington Post, 11 Oct. 2026
  • Over the last five years, coastal erosion, bluff movement, high tides and landslides have significantly disrupted rail service in San Clemente.
    — Summer Lin, Los Angeles Times, 8 Oct. 2026

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Cite this Entry

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

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