landslide

noun land·slide \ ˈlan(d)-ˌslīd \

|Updated on: 17 Jun 2018

Definition of landslide

1 : the usually rapid downward movement of a mass of rock, earth, or artificial fill on a slope; also : the mass that moves down

2 a : a great majority of votes for one side

b : an overwhelming victory

See landslide defined for English-language learners

See landslide defined for kids

Examples of landslide in a Sentence

The earthquake triggered a landslide.
They were buried under the landslide.
The presidential election turned out to be one of the biggest landslides in history.
She won the election by a landslide.

Recent Examples of landslide from the Web

The gorgeous stretch of roadway at Mud Creek has been closed since April 2017 — shortly before a tremendous landslide dislodged more than a million tons of rocks and mud onto Highway 1 and into the sea on May 20, 2017.

— nanette asimov, San Francisco Chronicle, "Highway 1 set to reopen in September," 30 May 2018
The National Weather Service tweeted an urgent message: MCDOWELL COUNTY UPDATE: A landslide has comprised the integrity of Lake Tahoma Dam.

— CBS News, "N.C. Dam in "imminent danger" of failing, evacuations ordered," 30 May 2018
Winds, flooding and landslides swept away homes and knocked out power, water and cellular service, which remained largely unrepaired for months.

— sheri fink, New York Times, "Puerto Rico’s Hurricane Maria Death Toll Could Exceed 4,000, New Study Estimates," 29 May 2018
Mottley, the head of the Barbados Labour Party, won in a landslide victory Thursday (May 24) against the Caribbean island's Democratic Labour Party.

— mitchell peters, Billboard, "Rihanna Celebrates Victory of Barbados' First Female Prime Minister," 27 May 2018
In 2005, a major landslide took out part of the road, closing it for most of the summer.

— john nelson, latimes.com, "Beartooth Highway is fearsome fun, whether you're driving it or skiing it," 18 May 2018
That’s exactly what Republicans did after their 2010 landslide victories in the state.

— andrew prokop, Vox, "The Ohio gerrymandering reform going for a statewide vote this week, explained," 7 May 2018
That night, a massive landslide closed Highway 6 to Tillamook.

— bill monroe, OregonLive.com, "RIP Pat McManus, a master outdoor humorist and teacher," 13 Apr. 2018
Read more: Egypt’s Revolution Comes Full Circle From Arab Spring: QuickTake El-Sisi’s landslide was reminiscent of the margins Arab autocrats claimed before the 2011 Arab Spring.

— Bloomberg.com, "Still Mr. 97 Percent, Egypt's El-Sisi Defeats Token Opponent," 2 Apr. 2018

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

First Known Use of landslide

1822

in the meaning defined at sense 1

See Words from the same year

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landslide

verb

Definition of landslide

landslid play \ˈlan(d)-ˌslid\; landsliding play \ˈlan(d)-ˌslī-diŋ\

intransitive verb

1 : to produce a landslide

2 : to win an election by a heavy majority

First Known Use of landslide

1926

in the meaning defined at sense 1

See Words from the same year

NEW! Time Traveler

LANDSLIDE Defined for English Language Learners

landslide

noun

Definition of landslide for English Language Learners

: a large mass of rocks and earth that suddenly and quickly moves down the side of a mountain or hill
: an election in which the winner gets a much greater number of votes than the loser

LANDSLIDE Defined for Kids

landslide

noun land·slide \ ˈland-ˌslīd \

Definition of landslide for Students

1 : the sudden and rapid downward movement of a mass of rocks or earth on a steep slope

2 : the material that moves in a landslide

3 : the winning of an election by a very large number of votes

Learn More about landslide

See words that rhyme with landslide Spanish Central: Translation of landslide Nglish: Translation of landslide for Spanish speakers Britannica English: Translation of landslide for Arabic speakers Britannica.com: Encyclopedia article about landslide

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landslide

Definition of landslide

Examples of landslide in a Sentence

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First Known Use of landslide

landslide

Definition of landslide

First Known Use of landslide

LANDSLIDE Defined for English Language Learners

landslide

Definition of landslide for English Language Learners

LANDSLIDE Defined for Kids

landslide

Definition of landslide for Students

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landslide

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First Known Use of landslide

landslide

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First Known Use of landslide

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