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

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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 escarpment The swollen river overwhelmed Camp Mystic, where counselors and campers awoke in the dark and tried to dash through rising water, some clinging to trees or scrambling up rocky escarpments. Jon Schuppe, NBC news, 9 July 2025 The escarpment is a line of cliffs and steep hills created by a geologic fault, Sharif said. Dinah Voyles Pulver, USA Today, 6 July 2025 The escarpment is a line of cliffs and steep hills created by a geologic fault. Hatim Sharif, The Conversation, 5 July 2025 The main issue was accessibility, or lack thereof, thanks to the combination of rugged mountains and a massive escarpment that cut the place off from the world. Ned Zeman, Outside, 14 Nov. 2021 See All Example Sentences for escarpment
Recent Examples of Synonyms for escarpment
Noun
  • In preparation for that cliff, tribal leaders in Montana have started culling bison herds to feed their community members on one reservation where the population is disproportionately food insecure.
    Zachary Schermele, USA Today, 26 Oct. 2025
  • Imposing granite cliff faces like Half Dome and El Capitan, serene meadows and forests, and the picturesque Merced River, all tend to come to mind.
    Cu Fleshman, Travel + Leisure, 25 Oct. 2025
Noun
  • Like one icicle falling from an alpine crag onto an unstable snow cornice below, a small slide rapidly turns into a thundering avalanche.
    Edward Lotterman, Twin Cities, 19 Oct. 2025
  • In the decades that followed, outdoor climbing was effectively reserved for those with ready access to crags and gear, who had ample time and energy to burn.
    Kelli María Korducki, HubSpot, 17 Oct. 2025
Noun
  • The palisade walls and structural support beams that hold up the fort are made to look like wood but are constructed of concrete.
    Patrick Connolly, The Orlando Sentinel, 1 June 2025
  • But what are the other buildings impacted by palisades fires?
    Katherine McLaughlin, Architectural Digest, 13 Jan. 2025
Noun
  • Sleeping Bear Dunes National Lakeshore on the shores of Lake Michigan features miles of sand beach, lush forests, clear inland lakes, unique flora and fauna, towering bluffs, an island lighthouse, coastal villages, picturesque farmsteads and more.
    Jenna Prestininzi, Freep.com, 22 Oct. 2025
  • The family lives near the bluff in Searcy County.
    Sam Gillette, PEOPLE, 22 Oct. 2025

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Cite this Entry

“Escarpment.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/escarpment. Accessed 29 Oct. 2025.

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