steppe

noun

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\ ˈstep

Definition of steppe

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

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Examples of steppe in a Sentence

nomads have long grazed yaks on the steppes of Mongolia

Recent Examples on the Web Diggers believe the mammoth bones found in the graveyard are those of steppe mammoths. — Joshua Hawkins, BGR, 21 Dec. 2021 Thubron travels by horse, boat, and bus, across steppe, wetland, and forest, and encounters Mongols, Russians, Cossacks, and Chinese. — The New Yorker, 6 Dec. 2021 The earliest mammoths to venture into North America were known as Krestovka or steppe mammoths. — New York Times, 22 Nov. 2021 Before the attack, Martin, with her long blond hair and French accent, seems to relish her incongruity on the steppe. — Katy Waldman, The New Yorker, 3 Dec. 2021 At the valley’s southernmost tip, which is surrounded by a shrub-steppe semidesert and is one of Canada’s hottest spots, conditions are ideal for reds such as syrahs and merlots. — Washington Post, 24 Nov. 2021 The crew’s trip home took about three hours before landing at 10:35 a.m. local time in the desert steppe of Kazakhstan’s Karaganda Region. — BostonGlobe.com, 18 Oct. 2021 Perhaps the greatest threat to the golden eagle and other animals that inhabit the sagebrush-steppe system is raging wildfires that have taken out the sagebrush and left invasive cheat grass in its place. — Amy Joi O'donoghue, USA TODAY, 2 Aug. 2021 The point of the mammoth resurrection is not to bring back an animal from the history books, but rather to provide the Asian elephants with more tools to survive in the area of the Arctic known as the mammoth steppe. — al, 16 Sep. 2021

These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'steppe.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.

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Dictionary Entries Near steppe

stepparenting

steppe

steppe cat

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Last Updated

28 Dec 2021

Cite this Entry

“Steppe.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/steppe. Accessed 18 Jan. 2022.

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More Definitions for steppe

steppe

noun

English Language Learners Definition of steppe

: a large, flat area of land with grass and very few trees especially in eastern Europe and Asia

See the full definition for steppe in the English Language Learners Dictionary

steppe

noun

\ ˈstep

Kids Definition of steppe

: land that is dry, rather level, mostly treeless, and covered with grass in regions (as parts of Asia and southeastern Europe) with usually hot summers and cold winters