as in tombstones
a shaped stone laid over or erected near a grave and usually bearing an inscription to identify and preserve the memory of the deceased
an engraved stone identified the grave as that of a man who had died in the Influenza Epidemic of 1918-19
Synonyms & Similar Words
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Recent Examples of stones
Catherine Lacey, New Yorker, 5 Apr. 2026
The rocks were then used to construct buildings, walls and walkways, and some were placed on the Alum Fork Dam for riprap (stones thrown together without order to form a wall).
—Arkansas Online, 4 Apr. 2026
Some overlooked a sliver of a private garden strewn with stones and moss.
—Condé Nast, Condé Nast Traveler, 3 Apr. 2026
Zendaya opted to wear the silk architectural column gown (featuring a plunging neckline of onyx stones) that Blanchett, 56, most recently wore to the Venice Film Festival in 2025 for the premiere of La Grazia.
—Catherine Santino, PEOPLE, 3 Apr. 2026
If Iran will not change its regime’s intentions, America will reduce it to resisting American imperial aggression with sticks and stones.
—Graeme Wood, The Atlantic, 3 Apr. 2026
The stones were designed to resemble a rosebud in honor of her middle name Rose, and was set in platinum on a yellow gold band.
—Jessica Gibbs, InStyle, 2 Apr. 2026
The surface can be rendered in Calacatta viola marble, black marble, and other stunning stones.
—Nicole Hoey, Robb Report, 31 Mar. 2026
Most home cooks only need two stones to sharpen and set their edges, but professional knife sharpeners might use a broader combination of stones at various grits to achieve a perfect edge.
—Jesse Raub, Bon Appetit Magazine, 30 Mar. 2026
Noun
Sprinkles was balancing a few stones atop one another with great concentration.
—Catherine Lacey, New Yorker, 5 Apr. 2026
The rocks were then used to construct buildings, walls and walkways, and some were placed on the Alum Fork Dam for riprap (stones thrown together without order to form a wall).
—Arkansas Online, 4 Apr. 2026
Some overlooked a sliver of a private garden strewn with stones and moss.
—Condé Nast, Condé Nast Traveler, 3 Apr. 2026
Zendaya opted to wear the silk architectural column gown (featuring a plunging neckline of onyx stones) that Blanchett, 56, most recently wore to the Venice Film Festival in 2025 for the premiere of La Grazia.
—Catherine Santino, PEOPLE, 3 Apr. 2026
If Iran will not change its regime’s intentions, America will reduce it to resisting American imperial aggression with sticks and stones.
—Graeme Wood, The Atlantic, 3 Apr. 2026
The stones were designed to resemble a rosebud in honor of her middle name Rose, and was set in platinum on a yellow gold band.
—Jessica Gibbs, InStyle, 2 Apr. 2026
The surface can be rendered in Calacatta viola marble, black marble, and other stunning stones.
—Nicole Hoey, Robb Report, 31 Mar. 2026
Most home cooks only need two stones to sharpen and set their edges, but professional knife sharpeners might use a broader combination of stones at various grits to achieve a perfect edge.
—Jesse Raub, Bon Appetit Magazine, 30 Mar. 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for stones
Noun
-
In 1975, the museum purchased his work Georgia Gate, a structure of fluidly bent pine staves inspired by photos of Georgia tombstones the artist saw in musicologist Marshall Stearns’s 1970 book The Story of Jazz.—
News Desk,
Artforum,
8 Mar. 2026
-
Last year, the City Council approved an ordinance to offer rewards for information involving theft of city plaques, tombstones, statues, light standards, and copper wire, and theft of metals linked to the Sixth Street Bridge.—
City News Service,
Daily News,
18 Feb. 2026
Verb
-
Capricorn December 22 – January 19 By afternoon, your focus sharpens on goals.—
Tarot.com,
Sun Sentinel,
1 Apr. 2026
-
December 22 – January 19 By afternoon, your focus sharpens on goals.—
Tarot.com,
Chicago Tribune,
1 Apr. 2026
Noun
-
Unlike the expansive battlefields and grand monuments that make up much of the park service, the Women’s Rights National Historical Park blends into the rest of the town, two unassuming brick buildings accompanied by an outdoor memorial and a small parking lot.—
Beverly Gage,
The Atlantic,
5 Apr. 2026
-
The United States is filled with memorials and monuments to its past.—
Encyclopedia Britannica,
Encyclopedia Britannica,
2 Apr. 2026
Verb
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The study also showed that in France, Netflix edges YouTube as first choice of video service by a thin margin (18% and 12%, respectively).—
Elsa Keslassy,
Variety,
25 Mar. 2026
-
That includes four players who transferred — edges Trey White (Texas Tech) and Ryan Henderson (Texas A&M), linebacker Owen Chambliss (Nebraska) and safety Dwayne McDougle (Nebraska).—
Kirk Kenney,
San Diego Union-Tribune,
22 Mar. 2026
Verb
-
The all-metal body and burrs (the wheely thing that grinds the pepper) sounded promising.—
Alaina Chou,
Bon Appetit Magazine,
1 Apr. 2026
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Scrubbing a dry, dirty window just grinds grit into the glass.—
Lauren Jarvis-Gibson,
Kansas City Star,
30 Mar. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Stones.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/stones. Accessed 8 Apr. 2026.
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