escarpment

noun

es·​carp·​ment i-ˈskärp-mənt 

1

: a steep slope in front of a fortification

2

: a long cliff or steep slope separating two comparatively level or more gently sloping surfaces and resulting from erosion or faulting

Synonyms

• cliff
• crag
• palisade
• bluff

Examples of escarpment in a Sentence

the castle sits atop an escarpment that for hundreds of years made it virtually invulnerable to attack

Recent Examples on the Web

On the eastern side of the escarpment near Noto Canyon is a deposit of sediment reaching up to 800 meters thick. —Elizabeth Fernandez, Big Think, 4 Sep. 2025

Various Rovos itineraries follow the escarpment of the Great Rift Valley or traverse the red deserts of Namibia. —Ann Shields, AFAR Media, 26 Aug. 2025

The escarpment—a sheer sandstone ridge that rises abruptly from the plains—stretches for miles, its ledges dotted with Tellem dwellings—eerily perched and unreachable—while Dogon homes cluster below. —Lewis Nunn, Forbes.com, 24 Aug. 2025

The swollen river overwhelmed Camp Mystic, where counselors and campers awoke in the dark and tried to dash through rising water, some clinging to trees or scrambling up rocky escarpments. —Jon Schuppe, NBC news, 9 July 2025

Word History

Etymology

French escarpement, from escarper to scarp, from Middle French, from escarpe scarp, from Old Italian scarpa — more at scarp

First Known Use

circa 1802, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Kids Definition

escarpment

noun

es·​carp·​ment is-ˈkärp-mənt 

1

: a steep slope in front of a fort or defensive area

2

: a long cliff