landslide

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

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

Authorities warned of landslides, flooding and the potential for rivers to burst their banks due to heavy rain.

— gearoid reidy, Bloomberg.com, "Typhoon Lan Weakens as It Passes Tokyo," 23 Oct. 2017
Most polls predicted an opposition landslide, in some places by a two to one margin, which government foes hoped would pave their path to the presidential palace next year.

— anatoly kurmanaev, WSJ, "Venezuela Opposition Says New Evidence Proves Election Fraud," 19 Oct. 2017
Despite the vicissitudes of landslides, family emergencies and communicating via a language app, the couple end up marrying.

— The Economist, "BanyanMassive Chinese investment is a boon for Pakistan," 9 Sep. 2017
While Super Bowl 48 may have featured a lackluster game with the Seattle Seahawks' landslide win over the Denver Broncos, (most of) the 2014 commercials did not disappoint.

— rebecca shapiro, Marie Claire, "The Best Super Bowl 48 Commercials for Women (VIDEOS)," 3 Feb. 2014
In Asia, Japan’s Nikkei Stock Average rose 1.1%, rounding out its longest-ever winning streak with a 15th session of consecutive gains, after Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe won a national election by a landslide.

— akane otani and riva gold, WSJ, "Stocks Slip to Start the Week on Disappointing Earnings," 23 Oct. 2017
Mountainous areas are already prone to landslides, and Maria itself caused many such disasters.

— vann r. newkirk ii, The Atlantic, "New Storms Set Back Relief Efforts on Puerto Rico," 11 Oct. 2017
Authorities have warned that the storm could create up to 10 inches (25 centimeters) of rain, cause landslides and flash floods and generate waves of up to 23 feet (seven meters) across the region, the Associated Press reports.

— rose minutaglio, PEOPLE.com, "‘Extremely Dangerous’ Hurricane Irma Could Hit Florida: Here’s What to Know," 5 Sep. 2017
Monroe, a Democratic-Republican, had won a landslide victory against the collapsing Federalist Party in the 1816 election.

— erick trickey, Smithsonian, "The Brief Period, 200 Years Ago, When American Politics Was Full of “Good Feelings”," 17 July 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

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

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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Definition of landslide

Examples of landslide in a Sentence

Recent Examples of landslide from the Web

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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