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
Most remarkable is the cairn-tomb of Gavrinis, one of Europe's great repositories of megalithic art, its interior replete with swirling patterns carved into the rock some 6,000 years ago.
—
The Week Uk, theweek, 12 Oct. 2024
The bones excavated at the site were returned to King William Island in 1994 and interred in a memorial cairn.
—Katie Hunt, CNN, 11 Oct. 2024
Ranger died in 1940 and was buried at the summit of Mount Hood, which is marked by a stone cairn and an engraved plaque.
—Meira Gebel, Axios, 20 Sep. 2024
The trail can be confusing so keep an eye open for cairns and tree notches serving as trail markers.
—Roger Naylor, The Arizona Republic, 18 Sep. 2024
See All Example Sentences for cairn
The Week Uk, theweek, 12 Oct. 2024
The bones excavated at the site were returned to King William Island in 1994 and interred in a memorial cairn.
—Katie Hunt, CNN, 11 Oct. 2024
Ranger died in 1940 and was buried at the summit of Mount Hood, which is marked by a stone cairn and an engraved plaque.
—Meira Gebel, Axios, 20 Sep. 2024
The trail can be confusing so keep an eye open for cairns and tree notches serving as trail markers.
—Roger Naylor, The Arizona Republic, 18 Sep. 2024
See All Example Sentences for cairn
Recent Examples of Synonyms for cairn
Noun
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By Wednesday, the streets in Kathmandu, many littered with piles of charred debris, were largely quiet.—
Lex Harvey,
CNN Money,
10 Sep. 2025
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Less than a dozen blocks away from my home and within a mile of downtown Oakland, a multi-ton pile of scrap metal threatens to spontaneously combust under the hot sun.—
Brian Beveridge,
Mercury News,
10 Sep. 2025
Noun
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Shortly after scoring the Phillies’ second run in a series-clinching 2-0 win against the Milwaukee Brewers on Thursday, Bader saved what might have been a home run, then chest-bumped Marsh as closer Jhoan Duran smiled on the mound.—
Charlotte Varnes,
New York Times,
5 Sep. 2025
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Explore the reconstructed mound and structures to learn about the rich Native American history of the region.—
Melissa Oyler,
Charlotte Observer,
5 Sep. 2025
Noun
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The chart-topping artist, who doubles as a Pandora brand ambassador, further decked her wrist with stacks from the brand.—
Skyler Caruso,
PEOPLE,
8 Sep. 2025
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Controls included a handful of physical controls for volume, fan temperature, exhaust mode, adjustable shocks and more in the center stack.—
Mark Phelan,
USA Today,
7 Sep. 2025
Noun
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As of publication time, Simpson has reached 11 mountain peaks.—
David Chiu,
PEOPLE,
8 Sep. 2025
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So, building here is an homage to Aspen’s past, a way of honoring the pioneers who helped transform a quiet mountain town into an international destination.—
Jordi Lippe-McGraw,
Forbes.com,
8 Sep. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Cairn.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/cairn. Accessed 11 Sep. 2025.
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