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
many of the headstones were for children who had died during the influenza epidemic
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Recent Examples of headstones
The Manatee County Sheriff’s Office is investigating vandalism at Old Memphis Cemetery in Palmetto, where deputies say 17 grave sites were damaged with broken and knocked-down headstones, graffiti and damaged concrete.
—
Miami Herald, 13 May 2026
The expedition buried only three members — those who died during the first year — with identifying headstones.
—Ashley Strickland, CNN Money, 12 May 2026
Six of the headstones bear the names of firefighters the Soviet press has identified as victims of radiation at Chernobyl, and a cemetery official said Tuesday the plot was for those who died as a result of the nuclear accident.
—ABC News, 25 Apr. 2026
Beneath the headstones and quiet walking paths of a cemetery in Ithaca, New York, something incredible has been happening — completely out of sight.
—Ryan Brennan, Kansas City Star, 23 Apr. 2026
In January 2024, thieves took more than 700 headstones.
—Ruben Vives, Los Angeles Times, 15 Apr. 2026
After enduring years of thieves stealing headstones, the owner of a Compton cemetery decided to sell the property after a person stabbed her three dogs on Friday.
—Nicole Comstock, CBS News, 12 Apr. 2026
The town of Red Ash was abandoned in the 1950s, and today, the island lies quietly as a part of West Virginia’s history, with just a handful of headstones remaining.
—Jordan Charbonneau, Travel + Leisure, 12 Apr. 2026
There were previously more headstones before a 1940s landowner had many of them hauled away into the swamp.
—Patrick Connolly, The Orlando Sentinel, 18 Mar. 2026
Miami Herald, 13 May 2026
The expedition buried only three members — those who died during the first year — with identifying headstones.
—Ashley Strickland, CNN Money, 12 May 2026
Six of the headstones bear the names of firefighters the Soviet press has identified as victims of radiation at Chernobyl, and a cemetery official said Tuesday the plot was for those who died as a result of the nuclear accident.
—ABC News, 25 Apr. 2026
Beneath the headstones and quiet walking paths of a cemetery in Ithaca, New York, something incredible has been happening — completely out of sight.
—Ryan Brennan, Kansas City Star, 23 Apr. 2026
In January 2024, thieves took more than 700 headstones.
—Ruben Vives, Los Angeles Times, 15 Apr. 2026
After enduring years of thieves stealing headstones, the owner of a Compton cemetery decided to sell the property after a person stabbed her three dogs on Friday.
—Nicole Comstock, CBS News, 12 Apr. 2026
The town of Red Ash was abandoned in the 1950s, and today, the island lies quietly as a part of West Virginia’s history, with just a handful of headstones remaining.
—Jordan Charbonneau, Travel + Leisure, 12 Apr. 2026
There were previously more headstones before a 1940s landowner had many of them hauled away into the swamp.
—Patrick Connolly, The Orlando Sentinel, 18 Mar. 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for headstones
Noun
-
Workmen are erecting identical marble tombstones.—
ABC News,
ABC News,
25 Apr. 2026
-
In 1975, the museum purchased his work Georgia Gate, a structure of fluidly bent pine staves inspired by photos of Georgia tombstones the artist saw in musicologist Marshall Stearns’s 1970 book The Story of Jazz.—
News Desk,
Artforum,
8 Mar. 2026
Noun
-
Trump is also using government money to build monuments for himself.—
Voice of the People,
New York Daily News,
16 May 2026
-
The idea of a waiting period is common for monuments and memorials.—
Kelsey Ables,
The Atlantic,
15 May 2026
Cite this Entry
“Headstones.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/headstones. Accessed 19 May. 2026.
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