variants
or less commonly savannah
1
: a treeless plain especially in Florida
2
a
: a tropical or subtropical grassland (as of eastern Africa or northern South America) containing scattered trees and drought-resistant undergrowth
b
: a temperate grassland with scattered trees (such as oaks)
Examples of savanna in a Sentence
lions roaming the savanna
Recent Examples on the Web
Brasília was built from scratch, in the middle of nowhere, in the hostile climate of the Cerrado—a savanna-like biome—hundreds of miles from any highway, railway, or airport.
—
Sophia La Banca, JSTOR Daily, 11 Mar. 2026
The habitat, the largest project in the San Diego Zoo Wildlife Alliance’s 109-year history, is home to the park’s herd of eight African savanna elephants.
—Karen Kucher, San Diego Union-Tribune, 6 Mar. 2026
No colonial power had ever controlled the swamps and savannas of the interior—an alien land of lagoons, glade marshes, prairies, and hardwood thickets.
—Literary Hub, 23 Feb. 2026
Since the end of his playing days, Griffey has embraced photography, taking pictures from the African savanna to the Masters Tournament in Georgia.
—C. Trent Rosecrans, New York Times, 19 Feb. 2026
See All Example Sentences for savanna
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Sophia La Banca, JSTOR Daily, 11 Mar. 2026
The habitat, the largest project in the San Diego Zoo Wildlife Alliance’s 109-year history, is home to the park’s herd of eight African savanna elephants.
—Karen Kucher, San Diego Union-Tribune, 6 Mar. 2026
No colonial power had ever controlled the swamps and savannas of the interior—an alien land of lagoons, glade marshes, prairies, and hardwood thickets.
—Literary Hub, 23 Feb. 2026
Since the end of his playing days, Griffey has embraced photography, taking pictures from the African savanna to the Masters Tournament in Georgia.
—C. Trent Rosecrans, New York Times, 19 Feb. 2026
See All Example Sentences for savanna
Cite this Entry
“Savanna.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/savanna. Accessed 17 Mar. 2026.
Copy CitationKids Definition
savanna
noun
sa·van·na
variants
also savannah
: a grassland (as of eastern Africa or northern South America) containing scattered trees
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