as in cliffs
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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Recent Examples of buttes
Its red rock buttes are said to house mysterious cosmic forces conducive to healing and self-exploration.
—
Evie Carrick, Travel + Leisure, 4 Feb. 2026
Within minutes, guests can be standing beneath the stone arches of Arches National Park, 4 miles away, or surveying mesas and buttes in Canyonlands National Park, 30 miles southwest, where the Colorado and Green rivers have carved the landscape for centuries.
—Cari Shane, USA Today, 15 Oct. 2025
Enchantment's accommodations include casitas and suites, with designs and decor inspired by the Southwest desert landscape and views of Sedona's red rock buttes.
—Michael Salerno, AZCentral.com, 9 Oct. 2025
Evie Carrick, Travel + Leisure, 4 Feb. 2026
Within minutes, guests can be standing beneath the stone arches of Arches National Park, 4 miles away, or surveying mesas and buttes in Canyonlands National Park, 30 miles southwest, where the Colorado and Green rivers have carved the landscape for centuries.
—Cari Shane, USA Today, 15 Oct. 2025
Enchantment's accommodations include casitas and suites, with designs and decor inspired by the Southwest desert landscape and views of Sedona's red rock buttes.
—Michael Salerno, AZCentral.com, 9 Oct. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for buttes
Noun
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When the Niagara Falls become the Frozen Falls, icicles dangle off the edge of the cliffs and clouds of frozen mist bathe the scene in a filmy white.—
Evie Carrick,
Travel + Leisure,
6 Feb. 2026
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The world-class 18-hole Jack Nicklaus Signature Course, with its scenic vistas of canyons and cliffs, is a showpiece within Red Ledges.—
Robb Report Studio,
Robb Report,
4 Feb. 2026
Noun
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Where once mountains were blanketed in thick white powder, many lie bare well into winter.—
Laura Paddison,
CNN Money,
10 Feb. 2026
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This is, of course, impacting snowpack in California’s mountains — snow that is a vital source of water for the state’s agriculture, recreation (ski tourism), and energy.—
Monica Garske,
USA Today,
10 Feb. 2026
Noun
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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
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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
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Set in the remote highlands of Montenegro, the film tells the story of a shepherd mother and her daughter who proudly defend their ancestral mountain from the threat of becoming a NATO military training ground, stirring memories of past violence that once shattered their family.—
Leo Barraclough,
Variety,
5 Feb. 2026
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About one hour east, deep within the highlands of the Khotokha Valley, the 20-room Farm Retreat will debut later this year ($800 per night, all-inclusive, two-night minimum).—
Jen Murphy,
Outside,
1 Feb. 2026
Noun
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This week's declines leave the S&P 500 down almost 30 percent from their October 2025 peaks.—
Leonie Kidd,
CNBC,
8 Feb. 2026
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Gulf Coast getaways, from Alabama’s beaches to the Florida Panhandle, are lovely in late spring and again in early fall, before summer’s heat peaks or winter visitors arrive.—
Cameron Beall,
Southern Living,
7 Feb. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Buttes.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/buttes. Accessed 12 Feb. 2026.
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