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
Dunlough Castle Located in County Cork at a place called Three Castle Head, 13th-century Dunlough Castle is set atop cliffs overlooking the Atlantic Ocean.
—
Patricia Doherty, Travel + Leisure, 22 May 2026
With rugged cliffs rising above the Arkansas River, the canyon is a picturesque place for rafting, fishing, and hiking.
—John Hickenlooper, Denver Post, 18 May 2026
Carved into the cliffs and wrapped in pine forest, the Hacienda Na Xamena brings unique barefoot-chic calmness to a usually loud destination.
—William Jones, USA Today, 18 May 2026
Unlike the open-country eagles many people picture soaring over cliffs or plains, harpies inhabit dense rainforests where visibility is limited, branches are tangled and maneuverability matters more than endurance.
—Scott Travers, Forbes.com, 17 May 2026
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
Winding roads lead toward the Atlantic and onto Achill Island, a place of rugged cliffs and wide beaches.
—David Dickstein, Oc Register, 13 May 2026
Patricia Doherty, Travel + Leisure, 22 May 2026
With rugged cliffs rising above the Arkansas River, the canyon is a picturesque place for rafting, fishing, and hiking.
—John Hickenlooper, Denver Post, 18 May 2026
Carved into the cliffs and wrapped in pine forest, the Hacienda Na Xamena brings unique barefoot-chic calmness to a usually loud destination.
—William Jones, USA Today, 18 May 2026
Unlike the open-country eagles many people picture soaring over cliffs or plains, harpies inhabit dense rainforests where visibility is limited, branches are tangled and maneuverability matters more than endurance.
—Scott Travers, Forbes.com, 17 May 2026
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
Winding roads lead toward the Atlantic and onto Achill Island, a place of rugged cliffs and wide beaches.
—David Dickstein, Oc Register, 13 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 multi-year project also includes the construction of additional seawalls and concrete-and-steel pilings to secure the tracks on the eroding bluffs.—
Phil Diehl,
San Diego Union-Tribune,
13 May 2026
-
Shete Boka National Park is home to 10 distinct bokas, but four are on display for visitors and connected by trails that run along the coastline’s limestone bluffs.—
Evie Carrick,
Travel + Leisure,
10 May 2026
Cite this Entry
“Cliffs.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/cliffs. Accessed 25 May. 2026.
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