as in cave
a naturally formed underground chamber with an opening to the surface
at the heart of the shrine is a small rocky grotto into which pilgrims can descend
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 grotto
Popes are typically buried in the grottoes under St. Peter’s Basilica, but Pope Francis will break tradition and instead be buried in the basilica of Santa Maria Maggiore in Rome.
—
Alex Perry, Cincinnati Enquirer, 21 Apr. 2025
Think waterfalls, a koi pond, a lazy river, and even a 35-foot water slide that leads to a hidden grotto.
—Abby Montanez, Robb Report, 26 Mar. 2025
This one-bedroom Airbnb is on the ground floor of the villa and showcases the building’s original soaring stone arches and curved ceilings that evoke an ancient grotto.
—Madeline Weinfield, Architectural Digest, 17 June 2025
Another wellness highlight is the property’s heated plunge pool tucked into a scenic grotto on the estate.
—Livia Hengel, Forbes.com, 2 June 2025
See All Example Sentences for grotto
Alex Perry, Cincinnati Enquirer, 21 Apr. 2025
Think waterfalls, a koi pond, a lazy river, and even a 35-foot water slide that leads to a hidden grotto.
—Abby Montanez, Robb Report, 26 Mar. 2025
This one-bedroom Airbnb is on the ground floor of the villa and showcases the building’s original soaring stone arches and curved ceilings that evoke an ancient grotto.
—Madeline Weinfield, Architectural Digest, 17 June 2025
Another wellness highlight is the property’s heated plunge pool tucked into a scenic grotto on the estate.
—Livia Hengel, Forbes.com, 2 June 2025
See All Example Sentences for grotto
Recent Examples of Synonyms for grotto
Noun
-
Aged in natural caves, this cheese is deeply tied to the region’s heritage.—
Hannah Howard,
Travel + Leisure,
16 Aug. 2025
-
Chasing gestures and glimmers of memory, the film returns to Cao Thị Hậu’s birth cave alongside cinema’s first light.—
Cátia Rodrigues,
Variety,
16 Aug. 2025
Noun
-
Earthquakes have shaken the cavern repeatedly and back in the day, when the government was testing nuclear weapons farther west at the Nevada Test Site, an underground blast would cause the water to ripple.—
Shaun McKinnon,
AZCentral.com,
5 Aug. 2025
-
Little detail is known about exactly what each of the underground caverns held or when, but etchings by 18th-century Italian classical archaeologist and artist Giovanni Battista Piranesi show it as a lively part of the city center.—
Antonia Mortensen,
CNN Money,
23 July 2025
Cite this Entry
“Grotto.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/grotto. Accessed 20 Aug. 2025.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
Share