1
: one of the vast usually level and treeless tracts in southeastern Europe or Asia
2
: arid land with xerophilous vegetation found usually in regions of extreme temperature range and loess soil
Synonyms
Examples of steppe in a Sentence
nomads have long grazed yaks on the steppes of Mongolia
Recent Examples on the Web
The northern part of the Pontic steppe extends its grasslands into southern Ukraine, where the lower Dnipro River is located.
—
Matt Hrodey, Discover Magazine, 14 Aug. 2023
The tusk is believed to belong to a steppe mammoth from before the last ice age.
—Brittany Kasko, Fox News, 15 July 2023
His office is in the boomtown of Kolwezi, where concrete walls topped with razor wire bisect the huge tawny steppes of mining waste towering over the city.
—Arlette Bashizi, Washington Post, 5 July 2023
Now, the steppe has transformed from being a space where tanks roamed to one where near-extinct species—like the kulan—can now be seen galloping across the grasses.
—Johanna Chisholm, WIRED, 23 July 2023
These enclaves, once the backbone of Ukraine’s agricultural eastern steppe, were reduced to ruin as the war passed over them like a flood tide.
—Natalia Yermak Mauricio Lima, New York Times, 14 July 2023
It was associated with the early nomadic people of the Eurasian steppe, such as the Yuezhi and the ruling dynasty of the Kushans—an empire known for the a love of architecture and art and the spread of Buddhism.
—Tim Newcomb, Popular Mechanics, 14 July 2023
Frankopan is at his most confident on the drier terrain of the Eurasian steppe, the setting of his last book.
—Ben Ehrenreich, The New Republic, 10 May 2023
The steppe mammoth, known to paleontologists as Mammuthus trogontherii, was the largest of all.
—Riley Black, Smithsonian Magazine, 18 Apr. 2023
See More
Matt Hrodey, Discover Magazine, 14 Aug. 2023
The tusk is believed to belong to a steppe mammoth from before the last ice age.
—Brittany Kasko, Fox News, 15 July 2023
His office is in the boomtown of Kolwezi, where concrete walls topped with razor wire bisect the huge tawny steppes of mining waste towering over the city.
—Arlette Bashizi, Washington Post, 5 July 2023
Now, the steppe has transformed from being a space where tanks roamed to one where near-extinct species—like the kulan—can now be seen galloping across the grasses.
—Johanna Chisholm, WIRED, 23 July 2023
These enclaves, once the backbone of Ukraine’s agricultural eastern steppe, were reduced to ruin as the war passed over them like a flood tide.
—Natalia Yermak Mauricio Lima, New York Times, 14 July 2023
It was associated with the early nomadic people of the Eurasian steppe, such as the Yuezhi and the ruling dynasty of the Kushans—an empire known for the a love of architecture and art and the spread of Buddhism.
—Tim Newcomb, Popular Mechanics, 14 July 2023
Frankopan is at his most confident on the drier terrain of the Eurasian steppe, the setting of his last book.
—Ben Ehrenreich, The New Republic, 10 May 2023
The steppe mammoth, known to paleontologists as Mammuthus trogontherii, was the largest of all.
—Riley Black, Smithsonian Magazine, 18 Apr. 2023
See More
These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'steppe.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.
Word History
Etymology
Russian step'
First Known Use
1671, in the meaning defined at sense 1
Dictionary Entries Near steppe
Cite this Entry
“Steppe.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/steppe. Accessed 23 Sep. 2023.
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Kids Definition
steppe
noun
: land in regions of wide temperature range (as in southeastern Europe and parts of Asia) that is dry, usually rather level, and covered with grass
More from Merriam-Webster on steppe
Nglish: Translation of steppe for Spanish Speakers
Britannica.com: Encyclopedia article about steppe
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