Definition of playa
: the flat-floored bottom of an undrained desert basin that becomes at times a shallow lake
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Recent Examples of playa from the Web
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The playa needs to be firm enough for heavy trucks to drive on and airplanes to land on.
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Fly Ranch, the organization's newly acquired hot spring and wetlands haven just a few miles north of the playa, is not an option for the event at this point.
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Rare snowmelt from the Granite Range, also north of the playa, added to the flooding.
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You're not supposed to throw anything away on the playa.
These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'playa.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Origin and Etymology of playa
Spanish, literally, beach, from Late Latin plagia — more at plage
Learn More about playa
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See words that rhyme with playa Spanish Central: Translation of playa Britannica.com: Encyclopedia article about playa
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