loess

Definition of loessnext

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 loess Many fatalities were linked to the collapse of yaodongs—homes carved into loess hillsides. Amanda Castro, MSNBC Newsweek, 27 Oct. 2025 When blown by the wind, these sediments are referred to as loess. Joseph V Micallef, Forbes, 2 Sep. 2021 The windblown loess soil comprises freshwater sedimentary topsoil resting over fractured basalt subsoil. Michael Alberty | For The Oregonian/oregonlive, oregonlive, 4 June 2020 When the tunnel was first dug, the ice held the loess in place. Madeline Ostrander, Smithsonian Magazine, 4 May 2020
Recent Examples of Synonyms for loess
Noun
  • The tunnel will traverse multiple difficult subsoil layers: a surface of historical and active landfill materials, including spoil from London tunneling projects and decades-old power station fly ash, a thick layer of alluvium composed of silts, clays, and peat, and, finally, highly variable chalk.
    Theo Burman, MSNBC Newsweek, 6 July 2025
  • At some point, alluvium buried the entire tusk, possibly from major storm flooding.
    Andrew Paul, Popular Science, 14 Aug. 2024
Noun
  • Some of the skeleton’s teeth were first found in the sediments of Lake Turkana by Arbollo Aike of the Koobi Fora Research Project in 2012.
    K. R. Callaway, Scientific American, 23 Jan. 2026
  • These grains record how rocks and sediments moved across Britain over millions of years.
    Neetika Walter, Interesting Engineering, 22 Jan. 2026
Noun
  • These rivers shaped the story of California — a sense of place — from the native peoples shaped by these rivers to the men who extracted riches from the silt.
    Sacramento Bee staff, Sacbee.com, 8 Jan. 2026
  • This stretch of the Great Hungarian Plain was once the nation’s breadbasket, a lush expanse of silt and soil regularly replenished by the flooding of the Danube and Tisza rivers.
    Mrigakshi Dixit, Interesting Engineering, 30 Dec. 2025
Noun
  • Mazzei explains that Il Caggio features a combination of factors ideal for Sangiovese, including altitudes between 1,050 and 1,150 feet, which ensure balanced ripening, and deep and well-drained clay, schist, and calcareous marl soils dotted with a type of sandstone that imparts intense minerality.
    Mike DeSimone, Robb Report, 14 Dec. 2025
  • In Friuli Venezia Giulia, the soils are rich in marl and sandstone, locally referred to as ponca.
    Joseph V Micallef, Forbes.com, 28 June 2025
Noun
  • Masala chai here is served in mitti kulhad clay cups, the traditional vessels still handmade on a potter’s wheel and once forgotten in favour of glasses and paper or plastic cups.
    Rebecca Ann Hughes, Forbes.com, 29 Jan. 2026
  • Watch for pedestal logs, remnants of ancient trees perched atop a crumbly stand of thick clay as if on display.
    Roger Naylor, AZCentral.com, 29 Jan. 2026
Noun
  • Automotive detritus Does your car need to be cleaned out?
    The Washington Post, San Diego Union-Tribune, 17 Jan. 2026
  • The detritus of a Bronze Age ship can tell us about the people on board and the routes taken by these intrepid travelers over 3,000 years ago.
    Literary Hub, Literary Hub, 15 Jan. 2026
Noun
  • One is a spindly stick about 2 1/2 feet (80 centimeters) long that could have been used for digging in the mud.
    Adithi Ramakrishnan, Los Angeles Times, 27 Jan. 2026
  • The ensuing attack is staged with harrowing, heart-in-mouth immediacy, shot by Jun with propulsive, handheld looseness and mud on the lens.
    Guy Lodge, Variety, 26 Jan. 2026
Noun
  • In September 2024, a 20-minute barrage of three-inch hail concussed dozens of homes in the Gutierrezes’ Edmond neighborhood, shattering their concrete shingle roof despite its high impact resistance rating.
    J.C. Hallman, Oklahoma Watch, 13 Jan. 2026
  • The deal, between Indie Rights and Orion Productions, the Irish shingle founded and run by Swing Bout producer Sinéad O’Riordan, covers TVOD, SVOD, AVOD, and home entertainment rights.
    Scott Roxborough, HollywoodReporter, 9 Jan. 2026

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Cite this Entry

“Loess.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/loess. Accessed 31 Jan. 2026.

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