cliffs

plural of cliff
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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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 cliffs People have driven to the edges of cliffs and even into lakes. Shayla Love, New Yorker, 6 Aug. 2026 Pharma’s previous mega-merger wave was largely a response to patent cliffs and weak pipeline replacement, with companies relying on cost cuts to protect earnings. Elsa Ohlen, CNBC, 6 Aug. 2026 The island lifts out of the lake, there at the outer end, in sheer cliffs with no beach at their foot. James D. Oxley, Outdoor Life, 5 Aug. 2026 Sprawling acres of largely barren farmland, still owned by the sugarcane plantations that dominated the islands’ economy for a century, line the side of the highway here, gently sloping toward the craggy green cliffs of the Waimea Canyon. Guthrie Scrimgeour, Rolling Stone, 2 Aug. 2026 Nearly a thousand miles from Tahiti, Fatu Hiva is marked by towering sea cliffs and lush tropical valleys that give way to rolling green hills at the higher, cooler elevations. Scott Laird, Travel + Leisure, 31 July 2026 For RBs, there are sizeable cliffs to be aware of, most notably early — after the elites Bijan Robinson and Jahmyr Gibbs, and then Christian McCaffrey and Jonathan Taylor— and following the RB33. Jake Ciely, New York Times, 31 July 2026 One of the most dramatic coastal settings in Europe, Étretat Beach lies on the Côte d’Albâtre (Alabaster Coast), a stretch of seaside in Normandy facing the English Channel that’s famous for its striking chalk cliffs. Catherine Sabino, Forbes.com, 29 July 2026 Known for its dramatic coastline and rugged cliffs rising above the Ionian Sea, the Greek island of Corfu has long attracted those drawn to its dramatic natural beauty and sense of seclusion. Tori Latham, Robb Report, 29 July 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
  • Here, outdoor enthusiasts can experience the raging Potomac River and the rocky crags of Great Falls.
    Stacey Leasca, Travel + Leisure, 26 June 2026
  • 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
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
  • Sugar maples, oaks and hickory trees turn the bluffs red, orange, and gold.
    Iona Brannon, Travel + Leisure, 29 July 2026
  • The Latour influence stretched from European high society to the Artois brewing empire, before finally reaching the bluffs of Esparza.
    Donna Hardie-Scott, Forbes.com, 22 July 2026

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Cite this Entry

“Cliffs.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/cliffs. Accessed 9 Aug. 2026.

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