steppe

noun

ˈstep 

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 of steppe

• prairie
• plain
• grassland
• savanna
• pampa

Examples of steppe in a Sentence

nomads have long grazed yaks on the steppes of Mongolia

Recent Examples on the Web

The two tortoises on board were, appropriately, Russian steppes tortoises, NASA has said. — Tariq Malik, Space.com, 15 Sep. 2026

Gulzhan’s search takes her to a remote village deep in the steppe, populated entirely by the elderly. — Naman Ramachandran, Variety, 11 Sep. 2026

The endless Tibetan steppe extended in front of me, the dark and frigid gorge to the Shilla River on my right. — Literary Hub, 3 Sep. 2026

Akiyama landed back on Earth on December 10, 1990, touching down on the steppe of Kazakhstan with cosmonauts Gennadi Manakov and Gennady Strekalov on board Soyuz TM-10. — Robert Pearlman, ArsTechnica, 2 Sep. 2026

Word History

Etymology

Russian step'

First Known Use

1671, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Rhymes for steppe

• cep
• hep
• pep
• prep
• rep
• sep
• step
• strep
• yep
• bicep
• doorstep
• footstep

Kids Definition

steppe

noun

ˈstep 

: 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