Definition of altiplanonext
as in plateau
a broad flat area of elevated land a cold wind from the Andes swept across the altiplano

Synonyms & Similar Words

Relevance

Example Sentences

Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Recent Examples of altiplano Built in the late 19 th century to transport the altiplano’s abundant metals and minerals, the railway line once ran from Bolivia’s de facto capital La Paz to the Pacific port of Antofagasta in Chile. The Editors, Outside, 31 Aug. 2025 Tiwanaku communities first emerged in an altiplano, or high plain, of the Andes called the Titicaca Basin, named after Lake Titicaca. Gina Park, CNN Money, 19 Aug. 2025 The landscape changed around me; condensing from plains, desert, and mountains into the jungles of Central America, then unfolding in reverse, into the expanse of the altiplano. J.r. Patterson, Condé Nast Traveler, 1 Feb. 2022 The world's largest salt flat covers 4,000 square miles of Bolivian altiplano. Anne Olivia Bauso, Travel + Leisure, 8 Dec. 2021 In the Chilean altiplano above 12,000 feet, Meiburg spends one of the coldest nights of his life in a sleeping bag on the edge of a salt lagoon, staking out mountain caracaras known for working in groups to flip over heavy flat stones in search of edible creatures. Paul Kvinta, Outside Online, 2 Apr. 2021 The terminal at El Alto International Airport may not have the best design or the most punctilious construction standards, but in the freezing predawn of this high plateau—the Andean altiplano—one could weep with gratitude that it is heated. Alma Guillermoprieto, The New York Review of Books, 3 Dec. 2020 Which is why Steve Ruff, a planetary scientist at Arizona State University and a key player in the Home Plate analysis, traveled thousands of miles to El Tatio, a series of hot springs in the rare air of Chile’s altiplano. Jeffrey Marlow, Discover Magazine, 28 Nov. 2016
Recent Examples of Synonyms for altiplano
Noun
  • Robbins heard a shout from one of his deputies, who directed the others’ attention down a slope about ten yards from the plateau.
    Scott Eden, Rolling Stone, 1 Feb. 2026
  • At 45, Johnson was the 24th pitcher and sixth left-hander to reach that vaunted plateau.
    Barry M. Bloom, Forbes.com, 23 Jan. 2026
Noun
  • In the 1880s, Belgium’s King Leopold II annexed the entire Congo Basin, more than nine hundred thousand square miles of Central African jungle, highlands, savanna, and forest, Katanga included.
    Literary Hub, Literary Hub, 22 Jan. 2026
  • The path of totality passes just north of the High Energy Stereoscopic System (HESS), a cosmic-ray-hunting telescope in Namibia's Khomas highlands.
    Jamie Carter, Space.com, 20 Jan. 2026
Noun
  • Think again, as the California Zephyr, the longest route in America crosses through seven states, carving up Colorado’s canyons, then passing into Utah where the sun ignites mesas into flaming towers of rock.
    Arati Menon, Condé Nast Traveler, 28 Jan. 2026
  • Beyond cost, Purple Line development will face a high degree of difficulty because of the topography of mesas and valleys.
    Michael Smolens, San Diego Union-Tribune, 21 Dec. 2025
Noun
  • The tableland was formed by volcanic eruptions about 700,000 years ago, according to the Bishop Chamber of Commerce and Information Center.
    Don Sweeney, Sacramento Bee, 11 Mar. 2025
  • It's located on the Cumberland Plateau — a 450-mile tableland that covers much of eastern Kentucky and Tennessee, with soaring sandstone walls, large boulders, and dramatic overhangs.
    Evie Carrick, Travel + Leisure, 22 July 2023

Browse Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Altiplano.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/altiplano. Accessed 6 Feb. 2026.

More from Merriam-Webster on altiplano

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!