Synonyms of 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

• canyon
• ravine
• gorge
• valley
• saddle
• col
• gulch
• gap
• pass
• kloof
• flume
• crevice
• notch
• crevasse
• defile
• abyss
• fissure
• trench
• gill
• linn
• cleft
• cirque
• gulf
• chasm
• basin
• glen
• gully
• vale
• hollow
• dale
• gutter
• dell
• cwm
• combe
• kettle
• arroyo
• coulee
• trough
• wadi
• wash
• floodplain
• shut-in
• barranca
• draw
• nullah

Example Sentences

Recent Examples of couloir

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

Her latest lines have looked the hardest, as a melting snowpack has revealed multiple rappels with sketchy-looking anchors in the middle of the couloirs that are sometimes fully skiable. — Jake Stern, Outside Online, 25 Apr. 2025

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