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

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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
Cashiers, North Carolina Located in western North Carolina’s Jackson County, high on a plateau in the Blue Ridge Mountains, Cashiers is a quiet village of fewer than 1,000 residents. — Patricia Doherty, Travel + Leisure, 12 Sep. 2026 This suggests a plateau in remote work where many executives expected a retreat. — Gleb Tsipursky, Washington Post, 11 Sep. 2026
Verb
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 Order frequency continued to plateau around 4 times per year over the last three years, its prospectus showed. — John Liu, CNN Money, 31 Aug. 2026 See All Example Sentences for plateau
Recent Examples of Synonyms for plateau
  1. mesa
  2. stabilize
  3. highland
  4. tableland
  5. altiplano
Noun
  • Inspired by the region’s terrain of flat desert basins, mesas, and canyons, residents of New Mexico are drawn to this shade the most.
    — Michele Laufik, Martha Stewart, 15 Sep. 2026
  • Los Alamos, not far from Santa Fe, sits at the foot of Pajarito Mountain in a land of canyons and mesas.
    — Daniel de Visé, USA Today, 25 Aug. 2026
Definition of mesa
Verb
  • Economists expect Beijing to lean harder on stimulus to stabilize corporate profitability, as consolidation accelerates in sectors already facing sluggish demand, fierce competition and cutthroat price wars.
    — Anniek Bao, CNBC, 28 Sep. 2026
  • An underlying crystal compressed the material and helped stabilize its atomic arrangement.
    — Aamir Khollam, Interesting Engineering, 26 Sep. 2026
Definition of stabilize
Noun
  • The orientation was the opposite in the old days, when all attention was directed to the highlands.
    — Peter Hessler, New Yorker, 28 Sep. 2026
  • The houndstooth pattern, crafted with wool and cotton-blend, was wholly reminiscent of the Scottish highlands where the print originated, ideal for a day outdoors walking the grounds in early autumn.
    — Julia Teti, Footwear News, 24 Sep. 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 5 Oct. 2026.

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More from Merriam-Webster on plateau

Britannica.com: Encyclopedia article about plateau

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