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
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.
The mountains on either side of the water give way to towering canyon walls, spruce and pine thin out, and only stout dwarf willow and spindly alder remain. Chloe Berge, AFAR Media, 15 Oct. 2025 The crew located them deep in a canyon. Liz O'Connell, MSNBC Newsweek, 14 Oct. 2025 Tucked in a small canyon, down a Forest Service road, are the 10 acres of apple and peach trees from Angle Orchard, a family farm that has been operating for over 100 years by virtue of tenacity and tradition. Shaun McKinnon, AZCentral.com, 14 Oct. 2025 Flash flooding will be particular concern in burn scars, slot canyons and urban areas, according to the weather service. Doyle Rice, USA Today, 9 Oct. 2025 See All Example Sentences for canyon

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

Cite this Entry

“Canyon.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/canyon. Accessed 17 Oct. 2025.

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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