as in piles
a small quantity of stones heaped together that usually marks a place
A cairn of loose stones marked the site.
Related Words
Relevance
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 cairns
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
Found around the perimeter ring, there are six additional cairns.
—Mike Bezemek, Outside, 29 Oct. 2025
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
Found around the perimeter ring, there are six additional cairns.
—Mike Bezemek, Outside, 29 Oct. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for cairns
Noun
-
Rodent holes, brush piles, firewood, timbers, dense undergrowth, and leaf piles can also attract wasps in search of a place to nest.—
Brandee Gruener,
Southern Living,
29 May 2026
-
Knisley has worked with communities where coal ash was used to fill children’s ball fields and seen Tennessee Valley Authority waste piles of the toxic ash piled up behind a public playground, open to the wind.—
ArsTechnica,
ArsTechnica,
29 May 2026
Noun
-
Archaeologists are just beginning to understand how complex these mounds were.—
Maria Mocerino,
Interesting Engineering,
31 May 2026
-
This pie's tart lemon custard is surrounded by flaky, buttery pie crust, and topped with mounds of fluffy, golden-brown meringue.—
Sophia Beams,
Better Homes & Gardens,
29 May 2026
Noun
-
Why book Mangrove forests, winding rivers, and sea stacks that rise dramatically from the ocean—the 99-island archipelago of Langkawi is rich with natural wonders, and the Four Seasons property is designed to provide the best vantage for experiencing it.—
Condé Nast,
Condé Nast Traveler,
2 June 2026
-
Firefighters were on the street hosing down the burning stacks of e-bikes, the live stream showed, and fire trucks were making their way through showers of sparks from fireworks being lit in the darkening Paris skies.—
Ben Church,
CNN Money,
30 May 2026
Noun
-
Luckily, the heaps of flattery didn't go to his head.—
Kathleen Perricone,
Entertainment Weekly,
30 May 2026
-
Aerial views on Friday revealed heaps of crumpled structures on the ground, with just one tower and the water tank still standing.—
Marcia Dunn,
Los Angeles Times,
29 May 2026
Cite this Entry
“Cairns.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/cairns. Accessed 6 Jun. 2026.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
