as in cliff
a steep wall of rock, earth, or ice
the castle sits atop an escarpment that for hundreds of years made it virtually invulnerable to attack
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
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 escarpment
Tries a first flight from the escarpment, a learner breeze across the valley, and realises – wow!
—
Literary Hub, 3 Nov. 2025
For a break from the bustle, locals head to the Edge of the World, a dramatic escarpment about an hour’s drive from downtown that drops into an endless stretch of desert.
—AFAR Media, 28 Oct. 2025
Perched on the eastern escarpment of the Great Rift Valley with the Ewaso Narok River to the east and the slopes of Mount Kenya to the south, andBeyond Suyian Lodge offers endless panoramic views and access to a wide variety of landscapes, from savannas to rivers and Vechellia woodlands.
—Rebekah Peppler, Travel + Leisure, 19 Sep. 2025
This park is all escarpments, rivers, and old forests.
—Daniel Scheffler, Forbes.com, 12 Sep. 2025
See All Example Sentences for escarpment
Literary Hub, 3 Nov. 2025
For a break from the bustle, locals head to the Edge of the World, a dramatic escarpment about an hour’s drive from downtown that drops into an endless stretch of desert.
—AFAR Media, 28 Oct. 2025
Perched on the eastern escarpment of the Great Rift Valley with the Ewaso Narok River to the east and the slopes of Mount Kenya to the south, andBeyond Suyian Lodge offers endless panoramic views and access to a wide variety of landscapes, from savannas to rivers and Vechellia woodlands.
—Rebekah Peppler, Travel + Leisure, 19 Sep. 2025
This park is all escarpments, rivers, and old forests.
—Daniel Scheffler, Forbes.com, 12 Sep. 2025
See All Example Sentences for escarpment
Recent Examples of Synonyms for escarpment
Noun
-
Hotel accommodations were so saturated that travelers without lodging were seen sleeping in a park in the small western Cuban town of Viñales that draws thousands of tourists and rock climbers to its scenic limestone cliffs.—
ABC News,
ABC News,
18 Apr. 2026
-
Located to the west of Normandy, this understated roughly 25-mile stretch of shoreline runs from the oyster-famous town of Cancale to the dramatic cliffs of Cap Fréhel, encompassing the fortified city of Saint-Malo and quaint seaside villages like Saint-Lunaire—our base for the next several days.—
Maddy Odom,
Travel + Leisure,
18 Apr. 2026
Noun
-
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
-
Characteristic of the late Bronze Age or Iron Age periods of European history, hillforts generally refer to fortified, elevated settlements that were surrounded by barriers—usually made of earth, stone or wooden palisades—that created an enclosure.—
News Desk,
Artforum,
10 Apr. 2026
Noun
-
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
-
Among their first outings together was a trip to a local Colorado crag.—
Namir Khaliq,
Big Think,
31 Mar. 2026
Noun
-
There’s a heated pool and hot tub (the latter is on an elevated bluff, which offers sunset views), and an outdoor shower lets guests soak in the surrounding nature as much as possible.—
Nicole Kliest,
Vogue,
24 Apr. 2026
-
Stroll past the historic school and grist mill to find natural treasures along the trails that stretch through bluffs and other dramatic rock formations.—
Erika Ebsworth-Goold,
Midwest Living,
20 Apr. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Escarpment.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/escarpment. Accessed 28 Apr. 2026.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
