canyon

noun

can·​yon ˈkan-yən How to pronounce canyon (audio)
variants or less commonly cañon
1
: a deep narrow valley with steep sides and often with a stream flowing through it
2
: something resembling a canyon
the city's concrete canyons

Examples of canyon in a Sentence

as the scouts made their way through the canyon, they marveled at the sheer walls of rock on both sides
Recent Examples on the Web In pricey Palos Verdes, the ocean view is great — until your house slides into a canyon. Ryan Fonseca, Los Angeles Times, 30 Nov. 2023 No sound but the echo of your own breath, and the opportunity to feel petite in a canyon significantly older than the neighborhood dinosaur tracks. Alexandra Cheney, Travel + Leisure, 20 Nov. 2023 Kentucky has its caves, Florida its coral reefs, Louisiana its bayous, Arizona its canyons, Minnesota its lakes, the Pacific Northwest its volcanoes, and New England its stone walls. Robert Thorson, Smithsonian Magazine, 14 Nov. 2023 From there, my partner and I walked to the weedy banks of the Zimbabwean canyon. Caitlin Morton, Condé Nast Traveler, 24 Oct. 2023 The Navajo, Manzanita and Ruffin canyons are on the list of places to tackle. Blake Nelson, San Diego Union-Tribune, 24 Nov. 2023 For aerial views of the Grand Canyon, there’s a helicopter tour that takes travelers from the West Rim to the canyon floor, where a pontoon boat is waiting. Evie Carrick, Travel + Leisure, 20 Nov. 2023 The park covers over 1,250 square miles, has three river canyons and contains 196 miles of the Rio Grande. Kerry Breen, CBS News, 17 Nov. 2023 Within hours, many homes had fallen down the canyon slope, their roofs caved in and foundations destroyed. Grace Toohey, Los Angeles Times, 17 Nov. 2023 See More

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'canyon.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Word History

Etymology

American Spanish cañón, probably alteration of obsolete Spanish callón, augmentative of calle street, from Latin callis footpath

First Known Use

1834, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Time Traveler
The first known use of canyon was in 1834

Dictionary Entries Near canyon

Cite this Entry

“Canyon.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/canyon. Accessed 11 Dec. 2023.

Kids Definition

canyon

noun
can·​yon
variants also cañon
ˈkan-yən
: a deep narrow valley with steep sides and often with a stream flowing through it

More from Merriam-Webster on canyon

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
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