butte

noun

Definition of buttenext
as in mountain
a type of hill with a flat top and steep sides that is found in the southwestern U.S. The otherworldly sandstone buttes of Monument Valley, Arizona are well worth a visit.

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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 butte Towering buttes shoot out of waving prairie grasses. — Julia Sayers Gokhale, Midwest Living, 1 June 2026 The 244,000-acre park features a unique landscape of eroded buttes, pinnacles and spires, and contains one of the world’s richest fossil beds. — Lauren Schuster, Charlotte Observer, 4 May 2026 Inactive volcanic buttes dot the city, providing good hill-climbing tests. — William Roberson, Forbes.com, 28 Apr. 2026 The kitchen turns out whimsical bar food, like Mexican pizza, and wall art depicts the buttes and cacti of the Seussian desert. — Chris Malloy, Bon Appetit Magazine, 14 Apr. 2026 See All Example Sentences for butte
Recent Examples of Synonyms for butte
  1. mountain
  2. cliff
  3. mesa
  4. highland
  5. foothill
  6. plateau
Noun
  • Whether your itinerary is packed with sweaty mountain hikes, relaxing beach days, or bopping around wine bars, staying cool is essential in summer heatwaves.
    — Olivia Dubyak, Travel + Leisure, 5 July 2026
  • That caught the attention of vineyard consultant Ken Swegles, who subsequently put him to work during harvest at dozens of small sites throughout the mountains.
    — Laura Ness, Mercury News, 5 July 2026
Definition of mountain
Noun
  • Reached via Torremuelle station and a short walk to the coastline, the small cove is framed by rocky cliffs and greenery rather than rows of restaurants and sun loungers.
    — Rebecca Ann Hughes, Forbes.com, 11 July 2026
  • Visit Deception Pass, Washington’s most popular state park, for its dramatic cliffs, turquoise waters, and iconic bridge.
    — Taylor McIntyre, Travel + Leisure, 11 July 2026
Definition of cliff
Noun
  • Beginning in the late 1960s, artists abandoned galleries in favour of deserts, salt flats, mesas, and remote terrain, using these surroundings as both setting and material.
    — Lara Johnson-Wheeler, Vogue, 3 July 2026
  • Together, Groves and Oppenheimer chose an isolated mesa near Los Alamos, New Mexico, where a secret laboratory—and eventually a secret city—would be built to design the world's first atomic bomb.
    — Rebecca Coffey, Forbes.com, 30 June 2026
Definition of mesa
Noun
  • The Simbari people of Papua New Guinea’s eastern highlands separate boys from their mothers around the age of nine.
    — Elizabeth Kolbert, New Yorker, 22 June 2026
  • The Macallan Importantly, this is the first time that Macallan fans will be able to have this type of experience without going through global travel retail or venturing into the heart of the remote Scottish highlands.
    — Mark Littler, Forbes.com, 18 June 2026
Definition of highland
Noun
  • Forty miles northwest of downtown Los Angeles, the tiny foothill community of 3,000 has one main road, spotty cell service and a lone local market.
    — Rebecca Ellis, Los Angeles Times, 12 July 2026
  • Go wine tasting right in town, or do your research and drive the Nevada County foothill roads to a few local wineries with pretty tasting rooms.
    — Chelsee Lowe, Travel + Leisure, 1 July 2026
Definition of foothill
Noun
  • Located in Florina, in northwestern Greece, the region lies on a high plateau ringed by jagged peaks, with freshwater lakes below.
    — Lauren Mowery, Forbes.com, 29 June 2026
  • Perched on the edge of a rocky plateau above the village, its sleek, ultra-modern rooms open onto balconies with views of the rooftops below and the Matterhorn beyond.
    — Alexandra Emanuelli, Travel + Leisure, 28 June 2026
Definition of plateau

Browse Nearby Words

butt
butte
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Cite this Entry

“Butte.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/butte. Accessed 17 Jul. 2026.

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More from Merriam-Webster on butte

Nglish: Translation of butte for Spanish Speakers

Britannica.com: Encyclopedia article about butte

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