landslide

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noun land·slide \ˈlan(d)-ˌslīd\

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
2a : a great majority of votes for one sideb : 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

Big Sur’s cliffside coastline plunges spectacularly into the Pacific—a drop so steep that the area is constantly digging out from landslides.

— GQ, "Dive Into America's Best Pools", 30 June 2017
By a landslide, the winner, with more than 7,000 votes in just 24 hours, was Highway 8, which stretches from Barron, east through Tomahawk to the Upper Peninsula just south of Iron Mountain.

— james b. nelson, Milwaukee Journal Sentinel, "Where does 'up north' begin? Wisconsinites can't agree", 29 June 2017
At risk from more landslides in the area, a massive rescue effort involving more than 3,000 rescue workers was underway, Xinhua reported.

— reuters, Alaska Dispatch News, "Hopes dim for scores of people missing after landslide buries Chinese village", 25 June 2017
In the 1980 Reagan landslide, Republicans gained 34 House seats—only to lose 26 seats two years later—and 12 Senate seats, only to lose 8 senators and Senate control when those seats came open six years later.

— bruce reed, The Atlantic, "How the Democrats Can Take Back Congress", 20 June 2017
County commissioners also recently approved this tax exemption for the owners of Terra Native homes, which are collapsing due to a landslide in the Boise Foothills.

— katy moeller, idahostatesman, "Homeowners in flooded mobile home park near Eagle could get tax relief", 15 June 2017
This latest landslide is actually the third of the year, and just the latest gut punch to the region after last winter's record rainfall.

— CBS News, "Drone video shows impact of landslide on iconic California highway", 26 May 2017
The highway had already been closed as crews were working to repair damage from an earlier landslide; no injuries were reported.

— meredith carey, CNT, "Massive Landslide Buries Part of California State Route 1", 24 May 2017
A massive landslide buried a section of California's iconic Highway 1 in Big Sur, according to authorities.

— mary bowerman, USA TODAY, "'One of a kind' landslide buries part of California's iconic coastal highway", 24 May 2017

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

landslide

verb land·slide

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

LANDSLIDE Defined for English Language Learners

landslide

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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

play

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