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
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Recent Examples of couloir
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
For more than eight hours, rescuers worked to reach the hikers and lower them from the couloir.
—Daniella Segura, Sacramento Bee, 27 May 2024
In August, 21-year-old Jadyn Weiss fell 300 feet to her death while descending a steep mountain gully known as the Flying Dutchman couloir.
—Anna Lazarus Caplan, Peoplemag, 2 Oct. 2023
Rivulets and rocks made the couloir treacherous.
—Los Angeles Times, 28 Feb. 2023
That includes backcountry boarding and skiing with friends, ice climbing, snowshoeing, hiking and climbing couloirs.
—Chris Meehan, Popular Mechanics, 27 Feb. 2023
Jake Stern, Outside Online, 25 Apr. 2025
For more than eight hours, rescuers worked to reach the hikers and lower them from the couloir.
—Daniella Segura, Sacramento Bee, 27 May 2024
In August, 21-year-old Jadyn Weiss fell 300 feet to her death while descending a steep mountain gully known as the Flying Dutchman couloir.
—Anna Lazarus Caplan, Peoplemag, 2 Oct. 2023
Rivulets and rocks made the couloir treacherous.
—Los Angeles Times, 28 Feb. 2023
That includes backcountry boarding and skiing with friends, ice climbing, snowshoeing, hiking and climbing couloirs.
—Chris Meehan, Popular Mechanics, 27 Feb. 2023
Recent Examples of Synonyms for couloir
Noun
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Typical diurnal winds prevailed with westerly/up canyon, gusting near 20 MPH, observed in the afternoon.—
CA WILDFIRE BOT,
Sacbee.com,
8 Sep. 2025
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The helicopter then lands inside the canyon, where participants start their epic journey on the river to the infamous Eyjafjallajökull volcano, past glaciers, waterfalls, and basalt columns.—
Mia Taylor,
Boston Herald,
7 Sep. 2025
Noun
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The victim's truck was later found abandoned in a ravine.—
Arkansas Online,
Arkansas Online,
6 Sep. 2025
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When camping in an open environment, select a campsite in a valley, ravine, or low region.—
NC Weather Bot,
Charlotte Observer,
6 Sep. 2025
Noun
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Over time, the powerful current carved out massive gorges and canyons, including the Grand Canyon of the Nujiang.—
Lauren Liebhaber
September 2,
Miami Herald,
2 Sep. 2025
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The 876-foot-high New River Gorge Bridge, which crosses the eponymous gorge, is also billed as one of the longest single-span steel arch bridges in the Western Hemisphere.—
Lydia Mansel,
Travel + Leisure,
29 Aug. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Couloir.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/couloir. Accessed 11 Sep. 2025.
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