plateau 1 of 2

noun

pla-ˈtō How to pronounce plateau (audio)
Definition of plateaunext
as in mesa
a broad flat area of elevated land Native Americans have inhabited the plateau for centuries

Synonyms & Similar Words

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plateau

2 of 2

verb

as in to stabilize

Related Words

Dissimilar 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 plateau
Noun
China is no stranger to powerful quakes, especially in southwestern parts of the country where the Eurasian tectonic plate meets the Indian plate, a dramatic collision that creates the mighty Himalayas and the vast Tibetan plateau. — Sophie Tanno, CNN Money, 22 Oct. 2026 Scott and Stauring founded the humanitarian group iACT largely to respond to the crisis in Darfur, a semi-desert plateau in western Sudan that has known nothing but war this century. — Los Angeles Times, 22 Oct. 2026
Verb
Over 17 seasons, top-end RB scoring has come from those backs selected in the first three rounds; then elite hit rates plateau considerably. — Ben Gretch, New York Times, 4 Sep. 2026 Production is expected to plateau at about 230,000 barrels per day, with blended crude exports emerging from separate projects by CNOOC and TotalEnergies. — ABC News, 2 Sep. 2026 See All Example Sentences for plateau
Recent Examples of Synonyms for plateau
  1. mesa
  2. stabilize
  3. highland
  4. tableland
  5. altiplano
Noun
  • The scenery today, red rocks and flat mesas, could pass for Utah and our hike feels like a geologic safari with Nouri pointing out rock formations that resemble elephants and camels.
    — Jen Murphy, Condé Nast Traveler, 15 Oct. 2026
  • There is camping in the large campground near the entrance, but the only way to stay on the mesa is the Far View Lodge, with hotel-style rooms and a full-service restaurant.
    — R. Scott Rappold, Denver Post, 25 Sep. 2026
Definition of mesa
Verb
  • This leaves the de facto SAF government without enough foreign currency needed to stabilize the pound’s value.
    — Mat Nashed, Christian Science Monitor, 28 Oct. 2026
  • Now Ruff has a decision to make, with Ukko-Pekka Luukkonen’s game starting to stabilize and Alex Lyon still working his way back from an upper-body injury that’s kept him out since the start of the season.
    — Matthew Fairburn, New York Times, 28 Oct. 2026
Definition of stabilize
Noun
  • The film, set in the magnificent highlands of Montenegro’s Sinjajevina plateau, centers on Gara and her 13-year-old daughter Nada.
    — Matthew Carey, Deadline, 30 Oct. 2026
  • The vast Puya de Raimondi forest is on your doorstep, where thousands of giant bromeliads—the largest on the planet—rise like sentinels over the highlands.
    — Luke Abrahams, Vogue, 27 Oct. 2026
Definition of highland
Noun
  • Only a depression in the ground remains at the Ingalls Dugout Site, but eagle-eyed visitors can still spot the spring, tablelands, thickets of plum trees, and other landmarksr described in the book of the same name.
    — Alicia Underlee Nelson, Midwest Living, 22 June 2026
  • Pedro Cervantes painted jewellike vistas of New Mexico’s tablelands.
    — John P. Murphy, ARTnews.com, 5 Apr. 2026
Definition of tableland
Noun
  • Built in the late 19 th century to transport the altiplano’s abundant metals and minerals, the railway line once ran from Bolivia’s de facto capital La Paz to the Pacific port of Antofagasta in Chile.
    — The Editors, Outside, 31 Aug. 2025
  • Tiwanaku communities first emerged in an altiplano, or high plain, of the Andes called the Titicaca Basin, named after Lake Titicaca.
    — Gina Park, CNN Money, 19 Aug. 2025
Definition of altiplano

Browse Nearby Words

plate
plateau
plateaued
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Cite this Entry

“Plateau.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/plateau. Accessed 4 Nov. 2026.

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Britannica.com: Encyclopedia article about plateau

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