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pasture 1 of 2

noun

ˈpas-chər How to pronounce pasture (audio)
Definition of pasturenext
as in ranch
open land over which livestock may roam and feed horses grazing in a fenced pasture

Synonyms & Similar Words

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pasture

2 of 2

verb

as in to graze
to feed on grass or herbs pasturing sheep on town lands was actually a cheaper alternative to mowing

Synonyms & Similar Words

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 pasture
Noun
In the Rocky Mountains, years of extreme heat and drought have baked the landscape, drying up streams that feed the Colorado River and desiccating pastures where cattle graze. — Ian James, Los Angeles Times, 5 Sep. 2026 The missing child was found at a church near the pasture after the incident, police said. — Taylor Croft, AJC.com, 31 Aug. 2026
Verb
Hence their motivation to send Powell out to pasture—save billions in interest payments and take control of the bond market. — Brett Owens, Forbes.com, 24 July 2025 His friend, a 64-year-old shepherd, had requested a permit from authorities that day to check on his sheep, pasturing in the area just above Blatten. — Laura Millan, Bloomberg, 28 May 2025 See All Example Sentences for pasture
Recent Examples of Synonyms for pasture
  1. ranch
  2. graze
  3. yard
  4. pasturage
  5. prairie
Noun
  • This summer, Rodgers put together a team-bonding trip to a ranch out west for four days.
    — Jonathan Jones, New York Times, 8 Sep. 2026
  • McKinney, who founded the network-consulting and security-services provider International Network Services, originally snapped up the Sonoma ranch in 2014 for just $12 million.
    — Tori Latham, Robb Report, 8 Sep. 2026
Definition of ranch
Verb
  • Underneath a Blossom-style hat, the model wears a set of enormous mismatched silver earrings that graze the shoulders of her sharp black blazer.
    — Julia Hobbs, Vogue, 18 Sep. 2026
  • Since the last time the area had been grazed, a year earlier, the grasses had grown to chest height and then folded under their own weight.
    — Ingfei Chen, New Yorker, 18 Sep. 2026
Definition of graze
Noun
  • Toney finished the game with 12 catches for 114 yards and a touchdown.
    — Adam Lichtenstein, Sun Sentinel, 19 Sep. 2026
  • Fecht later added a 13-yard TD toss to Brendon Salach before sitting out the second half.
    — Paul Johnson, Chicago Tribune, 19 Sep. 2026
Definition of yard
Noun
  • Meanwhile, many of the same people were evicted from their houses as landowners used the crisis to clear off these human encumbrances and free their fields for more profitable pasturage.
    — Fintan O'Toole, The New Yorker, 10 Mar. 2025
  • Here in rural Somalia, where about 50% of the people depend on animals for their livelihoods, the locusts are eating the pasturage.
    — NBC News, NBC News, 9 Feb. 2020
Definition of pasturage
Noun
  • The prairies’ clayey soils and other characteristics suppress tree growth, but allow native grasses, wildflowers and other herbaceous plants to thrive.
    — Charles Seabrook, AJC.com, 5 Sep. 2026
  • Radical Change Several decades ago, in the dry prairies of eastern Washington, Pamela Soltis and Douglas Soltis began tracking a polyploidy event.
    — Carrie Arnold Contributing, Quanta Magazine, 2 Sep. 2026
Definition of prairie

Browse Nearby Words

pasturages
pasture
pastured
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Cite this Entry

“Pasture.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/pasture. Accessed 20 Sep. 2026.

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More from Merriam-Webster on pasture

Britannica.com: Encyclopedia article about pasture

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