rift valley
noun
: an elongated valley formed by the depression of a block of the earth's crust between two faults or groups of faults of approximately parallel orientation
Examples of rift valley in a Sentence
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If the two plates keep moving apart, then eventually the Arabian Sea and rift valley will become a new ocean.
—
Stephanie Pappas, Scientific American, 24 Nov. 2025
The high plain ran to the rift valley and the Rio Grande, which flows all the way to Mexico.
—Michael Paterniti, Travel + Leisure, 14 Nov. 2025
Near the equator of Venus lies Aphrodite Terra, a highland region spanning approximately half the size of Africa, characterized by rift valleys, ridges, and ancient lava flows.
—Kaif Shaikh, Interesting Engineering, 13 Nov. 2025
The rift valleys of East Africa are some of the largest and most spectacular topographic features on Earth.
—David Bressan, Forbes.com, 27 May 2025
There is a rift valley on the Rio Grande in the desert of New Mexico where an award-winning home sits.
—Jennifer Castenson, Forbes, 22 Oct. 2024
Rather than having a central volcano, the Reykjanes Peninsula is dominated by a rift valley with lava fields and cones.
—Alexandra Banner, CNN, 18 Mar. 2024
Baringo is a county based within Kenya’s rift valley, which, according to Buret, experiences unnoticeable tectonic earth movement daily.
—Faustine Ngila, Quartz, 13 Mar. 2023
Valles Marineris is thought to be a rift valley, formed by uplift when hot material from the Mars's mantle bubbled up and stretched the planet's crust.
—Discover Magazine, 20 Oct. 2010
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Stephanie Pappas, Scientific American, 24 Nov. 2025
The high plain ran to the rift valley and the Rio Grande, which flows all the way to Mexico.
—Michael Paterniti, Travel + Leisure, 14 Nov. 2025
Near the equator of Venus lies Aphrodite Terra, a highland region spanning approximately half the size of Africa, characterized by rift valleys, ridges, and ancient lava flows.
—Kaif Shaikh, Interesting Engineering, 13 Nov. 2025
The rift valleys of East Africa are some of the largest and most spectacular topographic features on Earth.
—David Bressan, Forbes.com, 27 May 2025
There is a rift valley on the Rio Grande in the desert of New Mexico where an award-winning home sits.
—Jennifer Castenson, Forbes, 22 Oct. 2024
Rather than having a central volcano, the Reykjanes Peninsula is dominated by a rift valley with lava fields and cones.
—Alexandra Banner, CNN, 18 Mar. 2024
Baringo is a county based within Kenya’s rift valley, which, according to Buret, experiences unnoticeable tectonic earth movement daily.
—Faustine Ngila, Quartz, 13 Mar. 2023
Valles Marineris is thought to be a rift valley, formed by uplift when hot material from the Mars's mantle bubbled up and stretched the planet's crust.
—Discover Magazine, 20 Oct. 2010
Cite this Entry
“Rift valley.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/rift%20valley. Accessed 7 Dec. 2025.
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