as in hills
an area of high ground
there are permanent glaciers in the cool, humid highlands of the Pacific Northwest
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Recent Examples of highlands
In another part of the conservatory, the Cloud Forest mimics the cool-moist ecology of the tropical highlands.
—
Condé Nast, Condé Nast Traveler, 21 Feb. 2026
Frantic and crying, Manuela called her mother, a middle-aged farmer in the remote central highlands of Ecuador, who, from so far away and not knowing where else to turn, sent a WhatsApp audio message to me.
—Jordan Salama, New Yorker, 19 Feb. 2026
For his latest documentary the German filmmaker behind Grizzly Man and Cave of Forgotten Dreams follows conservation biologist and National Geographic Explorer Steve Boyes on his obsessive quest to find the mythical ghost elephants of Lisima in the highlands of Angola.
—Katie Kilkenny, HollywoodReporter, 10 Feb. 2026
Set in the remote highlands of Montenegro, the film tells the story of a shepherd mother and her daughter who proudly defend their ancestral mountain from the threat of becoming a NATO military training ground, stirring memories of past violence that once shattered their family.
—Leo Barraclough, Variety, 5 Feb. 2026
About one hour east, deep within the highlands of the Khotokha Valley, the 20-room Farm Retreat will debut later this year ($800 per night, all-inclusive, two-night minimum).
—Jen Murphy, Outside, 1 Feb. 2026
Before the world complicated things with espresso machines, oat milk debates, and influencers lecturing to you about grind size, wild coffee trees were clinging to the Ethiopian highlands.
—John Noakes, Hartford Courant, 31 Jan. 2026
In the 1880s, Belgium’s King Leopold II annexed the entire Congo Basin, more than nine hundred thousand square miles of Central African jungle, highlands, savanna, and forest, Katanga included.
—Literary Hub, 22 Jan. 2026
The path of totality passes just north of the High Energy Stereoscopic System (HESS), a cosmic-ray-hunting telescope in Namibia's Khomas highlands.
—Jamie Carter, Space.com, 20 Jan. 2026
Condé Nast, Condé Nast Traveler, 21 Feb. 2026
Frantic and crying, Manuela called her mother, a middle-aged farmer in the remote central highlands of Ecuador, who, from so far away and not knowing where else to turn, sent a WhatsApp audio message to me.
—Jordan Salama, New Yorker, 19 Feb. 2026
For his latest documentary the German filmmaker behind Grizzly Man and Cave of Forgotten Dreams follows conservation biologist and National Geographic Explorer Steve Boyes on his obsessive quest to find the mythical ghost elephants of Lisima in the highlands of Angola.
—Katie Kilkenny, HollywoodReporter, 10 Feb. 2026
Set in the remote highlands of Montenegro, the film tells the story of a shepherd mother and her daughter who proudly defend their ancestral mountain from the threat of becoming a NATO military training ground, stirring memories of past violence that once shattered their family.
—Leo Barraclough, Variety, 5 Feb. 2026
About one hour east, deep within the highlands of the Khotokha Valley, the 20-room Farm Retreat will debut later this year ($800 per night, all-inclusive, two-night minimum).
—Jen Murphy, Outside, 1 Feb. 2026
Before the world complicated things with espresso machines, oat milk debates, and influencers lecturing to you about grind size, wild coffee trees were clinging to the Ethiopian highlands.
—John Noakes, Hartford Courant, 31 Jan. 2026
In the 1880s, Belgium’s King Leopold II annexed the entire Congo Basin, more than nine hundred thousand square miles of Central African jungle, highlands, savanna, and forest, Katanga included.
—Literary Hub, 22 Jan. 2026
The path of totality passes just north of the High Energy Stereoscopic System (HESS), a cosmic-ray-hunting telescope in Namibia's Khomas highlands.
—Jamie Carter, Space.com, 20 Jan. 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for highlands
Noun
-
Wrap-around windows frame sweeping views of Victoria Harbour and the surrounding hills.—
Condé Nast,
Condé Nast Traveler,
22 Feb. 2026
-
In one incident in 1995, prosecutors said Funston used candy to lure a 5-year-old girl into his car in Highland Hills, took her up into the hills and assaulted her.—
Clara Harter,
Los Angeles Times,
22 Feb. 2026
Noun
-
Drop heaping tablespoon-sized mounds of coconut, about 1 1/2 inches apart, on the baking sheets.—
Lynda Balslev,
Mercury News,
10 Feb. 2026
-
Jim Lapic, master gardener with the Penn State Master Gardener Program, uses broken terracotta pots and places them along the sides of his garden mounds.—
Michelle Mastro,
Martha Stewart,
6 Feb. 2026
Noun
-
The Cotswolds in the United Kingdom attracts tourists from all over the world for its alluring rolling hills, quaint villages and historic mountains.—
Ashley J. DiMella,
FOXNews.com,
16 Feb. 2026
-
At the same time, strong winds and heavy snow will start to slam the mountains as early as Monday night.—
Dave Aguilera,
CBS News,
16 Feb. 2026
Noun
-
With an itinerary that can swing from luaus to local restaurants and misty uplands to deep-sea diving, Hawaii demands a packing list as versatile as the islands themselves.—
Natalie Hammond,
Condé Nast Traveler,
30 Jan. 2026
-
The driftwood trees help to blunt the effects of hurricanes—and, thus, slow down erosion—on the remaining woods and uplands.—
Lydia Mansel,
Travel + Leisure,
30 Sep. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Highlands.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/highlands. Accessed 23 Feb. 2026.
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