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
  • The movie’s plot is an intentional plateau, adapting the novel’s diaristic structure in the form of occasional video messages and FaceTime calls between Gianina and her nine-year-old daughter living with grandma back in Romania.
    Siddhant Adlakha, IndieWire, 16 May 2026
  • On the other hand, Lima sits on a coastal desert with extremely low rainfall, while São Paulo extends across a vast inland plateau.
    Encyclopedia Britannica, Encyclopedia Britannica, 13 May 2026
Noun
  • Built in 1885, the route once played a key role in transporting coffee and grains from the Curitiba highlands to the coast.
    Taryn White, Travel + Leisure, 11 May 2026
  • Take away the highlands and the suburbs and the big round table, and these are two shows that tell stories through the words and actions of real people.
    Joe Reid, Vulture, 10 May 2026
Noun
  • Developers advertised the rugged mesa—framed by the Santa Monica Mountains to the east and the ocean to the west—as an escape from the dust and noise of the growing city of Los Angeles.
    Literary Hub, Literary Hub, 13 May 2026
  • West of the mountains, the scenery opens into Utah’s red-rock country, defined by mesas and sandstone formations, before stretching into the high desert of Nevada, where towns are sparse.
    AFAR Media, AFAR Media, 27 Apr. 2026
Noun
  • Pedro Cervantes painted jewellike vistas of New Mexico’s tablelands.
    John P. Murphy, ARTnews.com, 5 Apr. 2026
  • 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

Browse Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Altiplano.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/altiplano. Accessed 21 May. 2026.

More from Merriam-Webster on altiplano

Love words? Need even more definitions?

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

More from Merriam-Webster