barranca

noun

bə-ˈraŋ-kə How to pronounce barranca (audio)
variants also barranco
Definition of barrancanext
as in cliff
a steep wall of rock, earth, or ice the intimidating barrancas that can be found in the Sierra Nevada

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 barranca Clark held his nerve to the end and was right there with him, even after a rare errant shot into the barranca on the 17th. — Doug Ferguson, Chicago Tribune, 17 June 2023 His ball landed on the barranca, one of the steep-sided gullies at The Los Angeles Country Club. — Josh Peter, USA TODAY, 16 June 2023 The Los Angeles Country Club’s barranca, a narrow gully, winds through the course, providing drainage during rainy season and a challenge to the players. — Bill Pennington, New York Times, 15 June 2023 The barranca that crosses the front of the tee runs down the left side of the hole. — Sam Farmer, Los Angeles Times, 11 June 2023 Jones shifted the fairway toward the canyon rim, with little rough or foliage to stop a golf ball from bounding into the barranca. — Mark Zeigler, San Diego Union-Tribune, 22 June 2021
Recent Examples of Synonyms for barranca
  1. cliff
  2. escarpment
  3. palisade
Noun
  • The city sits amid the rugged Rif Mountains, where cliffs and steep hills descend toward beaches and intensely blue Mediterranean water.
    — Jamie Carter, Space.com, 10 Oct. 2026
  • Rooms Splayed across the cliff front and dense, thrumming jungle at the southwestern tip of Bali, the 37 villas that make up the property as of 2026 are each completely unique in design, character and art.
    — Condé Nast, Condé Nast Traveler, 9 Oct. 2026
Definition of cliff
Noun
  • The researchers say the ancient escarpment may have influenced river systems, sediment transport and the flooding of continental interiors long before the rapid diversification of complex life during the Cambrian explosion.
    — Kaif Shaikh, Interesting Engineering, 21 Aug. 2026
  • Built around a towering sandstone escarpment that rises through the centre of the property, surrounded by a deliciously cold pool, the architecture was conceived in careful negotiation with the landscape.
    — Lara Johnson-Wheeler, Vogue, 3 July 2026
Definition of escarpment
Noun
  • As an earthwork with a wooden palisade, however, much less of Antonius’s wall has survived the ensuing millennia.
    — Matthew Wills, JSTOR Daily, 21 Sep. 2026
  • The optical illusion reminded early settlers of the blockades of wooden stakes, or palisades, built around forts to ward off threats.
    — Literary Hub, Literary Hub, 13 May 2026
Definition of palisade

Browse Nearby Words

barraging
barranca
barrancas
See all Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Barranca.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/barranca. Accessed 14 Oct. 2026.

Copy Citation

More from Merriam-Webster on barranca

Britannica.com: Encyclopedia article about barranca

Love words? Need even more definitions?

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

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences

Popular in Grammar & Usage

See More

'Affect' vs. 'Effect'

Merriam-Webster’s Great Big List of Words You Love to Hate

The Exceptions of '-s' and '-es' Plurals

Is it 'nerve-racking' or 'nerve-wracking'?

What's the difference between 'fascism' and 'socialism'?
See More

Popular in Wordplay

See More

16 Food Words Recently Added to the Dictionary

The Real Origin of 'Supercalifragilistic'

9 Words That Sound Like Insults But Aren't

7 Words for Bad Endings and Rough Situations

The Words of the Week - Oct. 9
See More

Popular

See More

'Affect' vs. 'Effect'

16 Food Words Recently Added to the Dictionary

The Real Origin of 'Supercalifragilistic'
See More

Games & Quizzes

See All
Play Quordle: Guess all four words in a limited number of tries. Each of your guesses must be a real 5-letter word.
Quordle Can you solve 4 words at once?
Play Blossom: Solve today's spelling word game by finding as many words as you can using just 7 letters. Longer words score more points.
Blossom Pick the best words!
Play Missing Letter: a crossword with a twist. Each of the 25 puzzle words start with a different letter of the alphabet. Which letter is missing?
The Missing Letter A daily crossword with a twist
a cup of tea and a golf ball on tee side by side
Quiz: Sounds Like... Choose the word that sounds like it fits the clue...
See All