gravestones

plural of gravestone
as in tombstones
a shaped stone laid over or erected near a grave and usually bearing an inscription to identify and preserve the memory of the deceased we love to tour old cemeteries and read the hauntingly poetic inscriptions on the gravestones

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 gravestones No gravestones, grave markers or other identifying materials had been recovered. — Darrell Smith, Sacbee.com, 30 Sep. 2026 Haunted Mansion props on the parade floats will include the conservatory casket, cryptic gravestones, gargoyle candleholders, watchful busts, haunted armor and stretching room portraits. — Brady MacDonald, Oc Register, 18 Aug. 2026 Artists and photographers regularly capture it, and Heicher says there are even gravestones in local cemeteries with images of the bridge etched into them. — Spencer Wilson, CBS News, 10 Aug. 2026 Many of the gravestones were moved to Alder Brook and West Cemetery and remain there today. — Sarah Kyrcz, Hartford Courant, 28 June 2026 Swapping gravestones for fieldstones That trend — along with a desire to improve deathcare — led Connell to partner with Ed Bixby, owner of Steelmantown Church in New Jersey, which operates several green cemeteries nationwide. — Karina Tsui, CNN Money, 18 May 2026 Many of the gravestones in this makeshift cemetery have no full names, only the fighter's nom de guerre, because they were buried in the haste of war. — Emily Feng, NPR, 17 May 2026 On the paths between gravestones are colored footprints, as if left by cartoon characters. — Todd Martens, Los Angeles Times, 28 Apr. 2026 The tornado ripped off roofs, flattened trees and toppled gravestones at the Belton Cemetery. — Kansas City Star, 25 Apr. 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for gravestones
Noun
  • Think tombstones, solid skeletons, signs or other decorations that hold their shape and don’t have loose or dangling parts.
    — Katie Koschalk, Scientific American, 16 Oct. 2026
  • That’s presumably the idea behind the recipes people have carved into their tombstones, which, yes, is a real thing that happens quite often.
    — Bon Appétit, Bon Appetit Magazine, 16 Oct. 2026
Noun
  • Aiming to protect what’s left of its buildings and monuments is a converted Volkswagen Crafter—the ARK III, a mobile 3D-scanning lab that creates digital twins of sacred and historical structures for future restoration.
    — Chris Stokel-Walker, Time, 15 Oct. 2026
  • Back in 2020, then-Mayor Lori Lightfoot had three monuments to Columbus taken down amid massive social justice protests.
    — Adam Harrington, CBS News, 11 Oct. 2026

Browse Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Gravestones.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/gravestones. Accessed 21 Oct. 2026.

Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!

More from Merriam-Webster