as in escarpments
a steep wall of rock, earth, or ice
the cliff rises 200 feet from the island's south shore
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Recent Examples of cliffs
Like the Columbia River Gorge, a Pacific Northwest icon where waterfalls tumble from towering cliffs, the landscape shifts from rainforest to arid grasslands in under two hours, and a historic highway is being transformed into a car-free trail.
—
AFAR Media, 15 May 2026
It's all anchored by Shawnee National Forest, home to seven wilderness areas, unique sandstone cliffs and rock formations, and the Shawnee Hills Wine Trail.
—Jess Hoffert, Midwest Living, 15 May 2026
Akrotiri, a Bronze Age settlement in southern Santorini, is built into the craggy cliffs and offers incredible views (plus, the famous red sand beach is here, just a 10-minute drive from this Airbnb).
—Elly Leavitt, Vogue, 14 May 2026
Tamolitch Falls, Willamette National Forest, Oregon Also known as the Blue Pool because of its deep cerulean hue, Tamolitch Falls is a basin of water surrounded by a ring of 10- to 60-foot cliffs.
—Talia Avakian, Travel + Leisure, 14 May 2026
The sweep of red sandstone cliffs frames a long, often empty, beach, where the Irish Sea rolls in with quiet force.
—Rob Crossan, Condé Nast Traveler, 13 May 2026
Trade those greatest hits for a few hours’ drive above Dublin and the reward is a wilder, more elemental Ireland — Atlantic headlands carved by weather rather than postcards, beaches that appear out of nowhere, and cliffs that don’t require elbowing for a view.
—David Dickstein, Oc Register, 13 May 2026
Burney Falls is known for its year-round flow — even in drought conditions — and for water that appears to beautifully pour directly from its volcanic rock cliffs.
—Andrea Margolis, FOXNews.com, 11 May 2026
Capitol Reef National Park, Utah Straddling a huge portion of southern Utah, Capitol Reef owes its name to the vivid imagination of early settlers, who thought one of its giant white-rock formations resembled a capitol building dome and its jagged cliffs an underwater reef.
—Cnn.com Wire Service, Mercury News, 8 May 2026
AFAR Media, 15 May 2026
It's all anchored by Shawnee National Forest, home to seven wilderness areas, unique sandstone cliffs and rock formations, and the Shawnee Hills Wine Trail.
—Jess Hoffert, Midwest Living, 15 May 2026
Akrotiri, a Bronze Age settlement in southern Santorini, is built into the craggy cliffs and offers incredible views (plus, the famous red sand beach is here, just a 10-minute drive from this Airbnb).
—Elly Leavitt, Vogue, 14 May 2026
Tamolitch Falls, Willamette National Forest, Oregon Also known as the Blue Pool because of its deep cerulean hue, Tamolitch Falls is a basin of water surrounded by a ring of 10- to 60-foot cliffs.
—Talia Avakian, Travel + Leisure, 14 May 2026
The sweep of red sandstone cliffs frames a long, often empty, beach, where the Irish Sea rolls in with quiet force.
—Rob Crossan, Condé Nast Traveler, 13 May 2026
Trade those greatest hits for a few hours’ drive above Dublin and the reward is a wilder, more elemental Ireland — Atlantic headlands carved by weather rather than postcards, beaches that appear out of nowhere, and cliffs that don’t require elbowing for a view.
—David Dickstein, Oc Register, 13 May 2026
Burney Falls is known for its year-round flow — even in drought conditions — and for water that appears to beautifully pour directly from its volcanic rock cliffs.
—Andrea Margolis, FOXNews.com, 11 May 2026
Capitol Reef National Park, Utah Straddling a huge portion of southern Utah, Capitol Reef owes its name to the vivid imagination of early settlers, who thought one of its giant white-rock formations resembled a capitol building dome and its jagged cliffs an underwater reef.
—Cnn.com Wire Service, Mercury News, 8 May 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for cliffs
Noun
-
Just as the sun prepared to sink beyond the escarpments, its rays struck every piece of the fractured glass resting on top of the window frames, alighting all of them at once, as if they were shot with electricity.—
New York Times,
New York Times,
16 Mar. 2026
-
This park is all escarpments, rivers, and old forests.—
Daniel Scheffler,
Forbes.com,
12 Sep. 2025
Noun
-
That's why there are so few of us clinging to the crags of Mount Everest or decamping to Antarctica.—
Ari Daniel,
NPR,
23 Apr. 2026
-
Coastal cliffs and crags are punctuated by black-sand beaches, and rich rain forests hide a towering volcanic cone.—
Carley Rojas Avila,
Travel + Leisure,
8 Apr. 2026
Noun
-
The optical illusion reminded early settlers of the blockades of wooden stakes, or palisades, built around forts to ward off threats.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
13 May 2026
-
In 2014, the regional nonprofit group SOS Sahel came to Barkadroussou and taught villagers to stabilize the dunes by building palisades of palm fronds.—
Julie Bourdin,
NPR,
11 Apr. 2026
Noun
-
The parking lot sits right above the Pacific, with the ballfield another 50 feet up the bluffs.—
Sean Joseph OutKick,
FOXNews.com,
10 May 2026
-
On the morning before his final Governor’s Fishing Opener in the title role, Tim Walz stood on the Stillwater waterfront, posing for myriad pictures and doing interviews with the community’s iconic Lift Bridge and the bluffs of Wisconsin behind him.—
Jess Myers,
Twin Cities,
8 May 2026
Cite this Entry
“Cliffs.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/cliffs. Accessed 17 May. 2026.
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