canyon

noun

can·​yon ˈkan-yən 

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

Synonyms

• ravine
• gorge
• valley

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

On the peninsula itself, a narrow strip protruding southward with the canyon wall plunging around it, park crews had chipped some wood and burned some piles over the past decade. —Brandon Loomis, AZCentral.com, 29 July 2025

Monterey Bay is a top spot for whale watching, thanks to a 6,000-foot-deep submarine canyon just offshore, which is comparable in size to the Grand Canyon. —Brittany Anas, Forbes.com, 28 July 2025

The Colorado River, which flows for 277 miles through the canyon floor, is more than 5,000 feet below the burning on the North Rim. —Jayme Moye, Outside Online, 24 July 2025

What sets it apart are the prehistoric rock paintings: vivid red and black figures that have adorned the canyon walls and cave interiors for more than 10,000 years. —AFAR Media, 21 July 2025

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

Rhymes for canyon

• anion
• banyan
• carbanion
• companion

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