as in cliff
a steep wall of rock, earth, or ice
the castle sits atop an escarpment that for hundreds of years made it virtually invulnerable to attack
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Recent Examples of escarpment
Hike back down the Beach Trail from the visitors center through chaparral and sandy bluffs to the shore at Flat Rock, where rain has eroded deep arroyos into the 300-foot sandstone escarpments.
—
Dakota Kim, Los Angeles Times, 16 Oct. 2024
The national park promises epic escarpments, striking rock formations, and breathtaking bush walks less than an hour west of Sydney by car.
—Matt Ortile, Condé Nast Traveler, 10 Oct. 2024
The rim is a 1,200-foot-tall escarpment that rises dramatically above a broad valley, giving you the perfect perch for spotting the show.
—Graham Averill, Outside Online, 3 Mar. 2025
During that time, the rover traveled about 1.2 miles along escarpments researchers believe were once part of an ocean shore 4 billion years ago.
—Monica Cull, Discover Magazine, 24 Feb. 2025
See All Example Sentences for escarpment
Dakota Kim, Los Angeles Times, 16 Oct. 2024
The national park promises epic escarpments, striking rock formations, and breathtaking bush walks less than an hour west of Sydney by car.
—Matt Ortile, Condé Nast Traveler, 10 Oct. 2024
The rim is a 1,200-foot-tall escarpment that rises dramatically above a broad valley, giving you the perfect perch for spotting the show.
—Graham Averill, Outside Online, 3 Mar. 2025
During that time, the rover traveled about 1.2 miles along escarpments researchers believe were once part of an ocean shore 4 billion years ago.
—Monica Cull, Discover Magazine, 24 Feb. 2025
See All Example Sentences for escarpment
Recent Examples of Synonyms for escarpment
Noun
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But the visual variety is staggering, with an island green, peninsula holes, huge elevation changes, and exposed rock and water everywhere—it is built into and on top of cliffs, after all.—
Larry Olmsted,
Forbes.com,
20 June 2025
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One of the most underrated shutdown defensemen in the league during his prime, Brodie’s play fell off a cliff during his final year with the Maple Leafs.—
Harman Dayal,
New York Times,
19 June 2025
Noun
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The area has also become a hotbed of rock climbing, and the most popular crag for out-of-towners is Stone Fort, a bouldering area 20 miles north of downtown with 400 problems on high quality sandstone.—
Ryan Krogh,
Outside Online,
3 June 2025
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There are three crags, and the plan is to develop one at a time, says J.D. Borgeson, the coalition's treasurer.—
Sean Clancy,
Arkansas Online,
12 May 2025
Noun
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The palisade walls and structural support beams that hold up the fort are made to look like wood but are constructed of concrete.—
Patrick Connolly,
The Orlando Sentinel,
1 June 2025
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But what are the other buildings impacted by palisades fires?—
Katherine McLaughlin,
Architectural Digest,
13 Jan. 2025
Noun
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Worried about Michilimackinac’s vulnerability to attacks by American rebels, the British relocated the fort to the high bluffs of Mackinac Island in 1780 and shortened its name.—
Sarah Kuta,
Smithsonian Magazine,
9 June 2025
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Look to Flanagan, who probably won’t need to call any bluffs for the time being.—
Kate Erbland,
IndieWire,
5 June 2025
Cite this Entry
“Escarpment.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/escarpment. Accessed 29 Jun. 2025.
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