often attributive
1
: land in or predominantly in grass
2
: a tract of grassland: such as
a
: a large area of level or rolling land in the Mississippi River valley that in its natural uncultivated state usually has deep fertile soil, a cover of tall coarse grasses, and few trees
b
: one of the dry treeless plateaus east of the Rocky Mountains that merge on their east side with the prairies proper and are characterized by shorter grasses and drier less fertile soil
Synonyms of prairie
Examples of prairie in a Sentence
Millions of buffalo once roamed the prairies.
The train tracks extend over miles of prairie.
Recent Examples on the Web
From the West Coast’s majestic mountains to the prairie ecoregions of the Great Plains to the white sand dunes in New Mexico, the resource zeroed in on the small towns that feature the best views of the nation's eclectic scenery.
—
Alexis Simmerman, Austin American Statesman, 6 Mar. 2026
Thunderstorms ripped across Oklahoma prairies Thursday night as severe weather was expected to intensify Friday and bring the threat of powerful tornadoes to multiple states in the nation’s heartland.
—Kathy McCormack, Los Angeles Times, 6 Mar. 2026
For much of the last century, bison were absent from this yawning expanse of mountain and prairie in central Wyoming.
—Christine Peterson, Outdoor Life, 5 Mar. 2026
Once established, queen of the prairie produces masses of fragrant, pale pink flower heads throughout the summer, along with bright green, finely cut foliage that's resistant to hungry deer.
—Lynn McAlpine, Better Homes & Gardens, 5 Mar. 2026
See All Example Sentences for prairie
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Alexis Simmerman, Austin American Statesman, 6 Mar. 2026
Thunderstorms ripped across Oklahoma prairies Thursday night as severe weather was expected to intensify Friday and bring the threat of powerful tornadoes to multiple states in the nation’s heartland.
—Kathy McCormack, Los Angeles Times, 6 Mar. 2026
For much of the last century, bison were absent from this yawning expanse of mountain and prairie in central Wyoming.
—Christine Peterson, Outdoor Life, 5 Mar. 2026
Once established, queen of the prairie produces masses of fragrant, pale pink flower heads throughout the summer, along with bright green, finely cut foliage that's resistant to hungry deer.
—Lynn McAlpine, Better Homes & Gardens, 5 Mar. 2026
See All Example Sentences for prairie
Cite this Entry
“Prairie.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/prairie. Accessed 9 Mar. 2026.
Copy CitationKids Definition
prairie
noun
prai·rie
ˈpre(ə)r-ē 
: a large area of level or rolling grassland
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