rockfall

noun

rock·​fall ˈräk-ˌfȯl How to pronounce rockfall (audio)
: a mass of falling or fallen rocks

Examples of rockfall in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web
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.
While Telluride’s via ferrata is public, guiding outfits permitted to use the route are trained to look for flaws, such as if a bolt has been loosened or a cable has been hit with rockfall, says Rutledge. Jen Murphy, Outside, 8 Oct. 2025 The North Kaibab Trail is closed because of extensive damage and rockfalls along the upper section of the trail. Michael Salerno, AZCentral.com, 25 Sep. 2025 None of them said that climate change could fully explain the catastrophe—the Kleine Nesthorn was inherently prone to rockfalls, and the immediate cause was gravity—but all were convinced that climate change had played a key role. Daniel A. Gross, New Yorker, 27 Aug. 2025 Why the Uptick? Some experts point the uptick in disasters to climate change—melting ice and permafrost increases rockfall on the peaks, and leads to the occasional collapse of glaciers. Owen Clarke, Outside Online, 16 Aug. 2025 See All Example Sentences for rockfall

Word History

First Known Use

1901, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of rockfall was in 1901

Browse Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Rockfall.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/rockfall. Accessed 30 Oct. 2025.

More from Merriam-Webster on rockfall

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!