as in pile
a small quantity of stones heaped together that usually marks a place
A cairn of loose stones marked the site.
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Recent Examples of cairn
Adam picked up a stone to top off each cairn.
—
Stephanie Danler, Condé Nast Traveler, 20 Nov. 2025
Zoom out on the past year’s mountain of TV, and All Her Fault is one pebble in a cairn of series positioning their female characters against abusive lovers or uniting them against a common enemy.
—Roxana Hadadi, Vulture, 5 Nov. 2025
Found around the perimeter ring, there are six additional cairns.
—Mike Bezemek, Outside, 29 Oct. 2025
Stone cairns, serpentine walls, earthen mounds, balance rocks, ancient spring wells, and interesting stone enclosures have been identified as potential early cultural evidence of pre-European native use.
—Staff Report, Hartford Courant, 3 May 2025
See All Example Sentences for cairn
Stephanie Danler, Condé Nast Traveler, 20 Nov. 2025
Zoom out on the past year’s mountain of TV, and All Her Fault is one pebble in a cairn of series positioning their female characters against abusive lovers or uniting them against a common enemy.
—Roxana Hadadi, Vulture, 5 Nov. 2025
Found around the perimeter ring, there are six additional cairns.
—Mike Bezemek, Outside, 29 Oct. 2025
Stone cairns, serpentine walls, earthen mounds, balance rocks, ancient spring wells, and interesting stone enclosures have been identified as potential early cultural evidence of pre-European native use.
—Staff Report, Hartford Courant, 3 May 2025
See All Example Sentences for cairn
Recent Examples of Synonyms for cairn
Noun
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Nvidia is using its mammoth cash pile to expand into new product areas.—
Jordan Novet,
CNBC,
11 Mar. 2026
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The evidence is irrefutable — a pile of drool atop a drenched spot on your pillow.—
Sandee LaMotte,
CNN Money,
10 Mar. 2026
Noun
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From there, Partida grounded out to second and Chestnut popped up to the third baseman in front of the mound.—
Tony Catalina,
Austin American Statesman,
6 Mar. 2026
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Plants develop as a gently spreading mound that looks lovely trailing over rocky ledges and stone walls or spilling from containers.—
Kim Toscano,
Southern Living,
6 Mar. 2026
Noun
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Its leadership team believes the company’s technology stack, compliance protocols, and carrier relationships can support a wide franchise footprint across the United States.—
Wyles Daniel,
USA Today,
4 Mar. 2026
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Not all pads are alike, but a footprint on the larger side involves five to ten acres of cleared, packed ground that serves as the hub for drilling equipment, which can include wellheads, pump jacks, tanks, wastewater storage pits, trailers, and flare stacks.—
Alex Heard,
Outside,
4 Mar. 2026
Noun
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To the east is a jaw-dropping view of snowy Aoraki/Mount Cook, the tallest mountain in New Zealand, which lies in the distance beyond the sand.—
Madeline Bilis,
Travel + Leisure,
8 Mar. 2026
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At Jay Peak in northern Vermont, there’s a notable absence of Canadian school trips that previously helped fill the 3,800-foot mountain and associated water park, said General Manager Steve Wright.—
Alex Harring,
CNBC,
7 Mar. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Cairn.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/cairn. Accessed 12 Mar. 2026.
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