chaparral
noun
chap·ar·ral
ˌsha-pə-ˈral 
-ˈrel
1
: a thicket of dwarf evergreen oaks
broadly
: a dense impenetrable thicket of shrubs or dwarf trees
2
: an ecological community composed of shrubby plants adapted to dry summers and moist winters that occurs especially in southern California
Examples of chaparral in a Sentence
the rabbit darted into the chaparral
Recent Examples on the Web
Much of that region is covered by chaparral and grassland, which can be very flammable.
—
Gary Robbins, San Diego Union-Tribune, 3 June 2025
La Jolla Walk-In Campsite The La Jolla Walk-In Campsite is a small campground in dense chaparral in Point Mugu State Park in the Santa Monica Mountains.
—Jaclyn Cosgrove, Los Angeles Times, 13 May 2025
But wildfire experts say cutting down Southern California's chaparral won't make the region safer from wildfires.
—Lauren Sommer, NPR, 11 Feb. 2025
Hazardous fire areas were considered to be at greater risk for wildfire due to their proximity to highly flammable vegetation including the native chaparral that is present in many areas of Poway’s open spaces.
—Christian Martinez, San Diego Union-Tribune, 1 Apr. 2025
See All Example Sentences for chaparral
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.
Gary Robbins, San Diego Union-Tribune, 3 June 2025
La Jolla Walk-In Campsite The La Jolla Walk-In Campsite is a small campground in dense chaparral in Point Mugu State Park in the Santa Monica Mountains.
—Jaclyn Cosgrove, Los Angeles Times, 13 May 2025
But wildfire experts say cutting down Southern California's chaparral won't make the region safer from wildfires.
—Lauren Sommer, NPR, 11 Feb. 2025
Hazardous fire areas were considered to be at greater risk for wildfire due to their proximity to highly flammable vegetation including the native chaparral that is present in many areas of Poway’s open spaces.
—Christian Martinez, San Diego Union-Tribune, 1 Apr. 2025
See All Example Sentences for chaparral
Cite this Entry
“Chaparral.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/chaparral. Accessed 8 Jul. 2025.
Copy CitationKids Definition
chaparral
noun
chap·ar·ral
ˌshap-ə-ˈral
-ˈrel
1
: a thicket of dwarf evergreen oaks
also
: a dense thicket
2
: an ecological community that is found especially in parts of southern California and is composed of shrubby plants that grow well in dry sunny summers and moist winters
Love words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
Share