Thesaurus results for COULOIR

couloir

noun

kül-ˈwär

as in canyon

a narrow opening between hillsides or mountains that can be used for passage at one point the steep, ice-encrusted walls of the couloir are no more than 50 feet apart

Synonyms & Similar Words

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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 couloir Operations conducted by mountain rescue units and sheriff's office helicopters led to the discovery of personal belongings at the top of a steep couloir, authorities said. —

David Chiu, PEOPLE, 14 May 2026 For expert skiers, Arapahoe Basin’s East Wall is an irresistible swath of terrain riven by steep chutes and couloirs, all of it requiring hiking to access. —

John Meyer, Denver Post, 26 Feb. 2026 Be sure to tick off the Supreme Bowl— packed with tight, fast couloirs—when conditions permit. —

Jessica Chapel, Condé Nast Traveler, 12 Feb. 2026 Each year, the fearless freeriders huck themself off the resort’s infamous couloir during the King’s and Queen’s of Corbet’s event (February 8-15, 2026). —

Jen Murphy, Outside, 20 Dec. 2025 Many of these ski lines are clustered in the same drainages, but while in years past Noyes has been able to complete multiple descents in a day, this year, the hot April sun shortened the windows during which those couloirs would be safe from wet avalanches. —

Jake Stern, Outside Online, 25 Apr. 2025

Recent Examples of Synonyms for couloir

Noun

Mesa Verde continues to hold great cultural significance for the 27 pueblos and tribes whose ancestors once called the canyons, farms, cliffside and mesa dwellings home or who have other ties to the area.

— Alia Beard Rau, USA Today, 10 June 2026
In late afternoon, about 44 firefighters were working to knock down flames in the canyon’s steep and rocky terrain, the department said.

— Meg Wingerter, Denver Post, 9 June 2026