cairn

noun

Definition of cairnnext
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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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 cairn Some are surrounded by miniature fields, identifiable by alignments of boulders or cairns that were heaped up when the land was cleared of stones. — Literary Hub, 26 Jan. 2026 The Park Service recommends that people not disturb, knock down or add to cairns, though some parks caution visitors not to rely on them as official pathways. — Noah Lyons, San Diego Union-Tribune, 24 Jan. 2026 Above the glacial lake Ullswater, prehistoric cairns and burial mounds dot the high moorland, including the Cockpit Stone Circle, which spans 90 feet. — Andrea Bussell, Travel + Leisure, 27 Dec. 2025 Young Hopi men traditionally descended the rugged Salt Trail to the Little Colorado and Sípàapuni, contributing rocks to a cairn that still stands along the route and gathering salt to bring home. — Brandon Loomis, AZCentral.com, 15 Dec. 2025 See All Example Sentences for cairn
Recent Examples of Synonyms for cairn
  1. pile
  2. mound
  3. stack
  4. mountain
Noun
  • The Rest and Relax Inn in Pensacola, Florida, was surrounded by piles of debris after it was stripped of roofing materials during a heavy hit from the hurricane last night.
    — Erika Angulo, NBC news, 11 Oct. 2026
  • Dozens of protesters, many of them young, dressed in black and wearing masks, threw rocks and firecrackers at police at the central Brussels railway station, before setting several fires, one to a pile of city bikes and electric scooters.
    — Mark Carlson, Los Angeles Times, 9 Oct. 2026
Definition of pile
Noun
  • The Dodgers had Tyler Glasnow on their mound in Wednesday’s Game 4 and Tarik Skubal waiting for a possible Game 5 and this thing feels over.
    — Los Angeles Times, Los Angeles Times, 7 Oct. 2026
  • Chris Sale comes to the mound today looking to keep Los Angeles off the scoreboard.
    — OutKick, FOXNews.com, 6 Oct. 2026
Definition of mound
Noun
  • Twenty Topgolf venues are still running VxRail with the VMware Cloud Foundation software stack.
    — Scharon Harding, ArsTechnica, 13 Oct. 2026
  • Systems As for systems, starting with your technology stack, think about how current your hardware and software is.
    — Karl Mawhinney, Forbes.com, 13 Oct. 2026
Definition of stack
Noun
  • Reaching Gary Grabowske’s land requires grinding along rocky mountain trails and through gullies carved by flash floods.
    — Rebecca Santana, Los Angeles Times, 9 Oct. 2026
  • By the time jokes start flying, about 12,300 tickets will have been purchased, said Creston Thornton, president of promoter Live Nation’s mountain region.
    — Michael Deeds, Idaho Statesman, 9 Oct. 2026
Definition of mountain

Browse Nearby Words

caïques
cairn
cairns
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Cite this Entry

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

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More from Merriam-Webster on cairn

Britannica.com: Encyclopedia article about cairn

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