badland

noun

bad·land | \ ˈbad-ˌland

How to pronounce badland (audio)

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Definition of badland

: a region marked by intricate erosional sculpturing, scanty vegetation, and fantastically formed hills —usually used in plural

Examples of badland in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web But areas with broad canyons in rimrock and badland country seldom get pressured by hunters. — Gerald Almy, Field & Stream, "8 Overlooked Spring Turkey-Hunting Hotspots," 19 Mar. 2021 Back then, just around 500,000 people lived in the entire state, and the Central Valley was a sparsely populated badland. — Tom Philpott, Wired, "The Biblical Flood That Will Drown California," 29 Aug. 2020 Their story, first recounted to me by a crowd of teenage boys in Bandiagara, was one of refuge taken in these badlands from expanding empires to the north and south, both of which sought to forcibly convert them to Islam. — Howard W. French, The New York Review of Books, "Treasures of the Sahel," 29 Apr. 2020 The expanses of windswept badlands, narrow slot canyons, and towering rock formations are sacred to several Native American nations and prized by scientists and outdoor enthusiasts. — Sarah Kaplan, BostonGlobe.com, "Trump to auction drilling, grazing rights on Utah sites once off limits to development," 6 Feb. 2020 From his home in Scottsbluff, Nebraska, Geoff Nemnich can drive west to Wyoming’s wide-open prairies and badlands in pursuit of coyotes. — Andrew Mckean, Outdoor Life, "Q&A With an Expert Farm-Country Coyote Hunter," 29 Jan. 2020 The proposal to open the land for business is expected to energize a legal fight over the land, which includes badlands, slot canyons, and other features sacred to Native American nations. — Harold Maass, TheWeek, "February 7, 2020," 7 Feb. 2020 The expanses of windswept badlands, narrow slot canyons and towering rock formations are sacred to several Native American nations and prized by scientists and outdoor enthusiasts. — Sarah Kaplan, Juliet Eilperin, Anchorage Daily News, "Trump to auction drilling and grazing rights on Utah sites that were once in national monuments," 6 Feb. 2020 Officials say smuggling has long been a factor in Baluchistan, aided by the province’s badland borders with Iran and Afghanistan, and driven by deep poverty and unemployment among residents. — SFChronicle.com, "News of the day from around the world, Dec. 14," 13 Dec. 2019

These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'badland.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.

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Dictionary Entries near badland

Badlands National Park

Statistics for badland

Last Updated

26 Mar 2021

Cite this Entry

“Badland.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/badland. Accessed 14 May. 2021.

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