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 rift valley
If the two plates keep moving apart, then eventually the Arabian Sea and rift valley will become a new ocean.
—
Stephanie Pappas, Scientific American, 24 Nov. 2025
The high plain ran to the rift valley and the Rio Grande, which flows all the way to Mexico.
—Michael Paterniti, Travel + Leisure, 14 Nov. 2025
The rift valleys of East Africa are some of the largest and most spectacular topographic features on Earth.
—David Bressan, Forbes.com, 27 May 2025
There is a rift valley on the Rio Grande in the desert of New Mexico where an award-winning home sits.
—Jennifer Castenson, Forbes, 22 Oct. 2024
Rather than having a central volcano, the Reykjanes Peninsula is dominated by a rift valley with lava fields and cones.
—Alexandra Banner, CNN, 18 Mar. 2024
Baringo is a county based within Kenya’s rift valley, which, according to Buret, experiences unnoticeable tectonic earth movement daily.
—Faustine Ngila, Quartz, 13 Mar. 2023
Valles Marineris is thought to be a rift valley, formed by uplift when hot material from the Mars's mantle bubbled up and stretched the planet's crust.
—Discover Magazine, 20 Oct. 2010
Stephanie Pappas, Scientific American, 24 Nov. 2025
The high plain ran to the rift valley and the Rio Grande, which flows all the way to Mexico.
—Michael Paterniti, Travel + Leisure, 14 Nov. 2025
The rift valleys of East Africa are some of the largest and most spectacular topographic features on Earth.
—David Bressan, Forbes.com, 27 May 2025
There is a rift valley on the Rio Grande in the desert of New Mexico where an award-winning home sits.
—Jennifer Castenson, Forbes, 22 Oct. 2024
Rather than having a central volcano, the Reykjanes Peninsula is dominated by a rift valley with lava fields and cones.
—Alexandra Banner, CNN, 18 Mar. 2024
Baringo is a county based within Kenya’s rift valley, which, according to Buret, experiences unnoticeable tectonic earth movement daily.
—Faustine Ngila, Quartz, 13 Mar. 2023
Valles Marineris is thought to be a rift valley, formed by uplift when hot material from the Mars's mantle bubbled up and stretched the planet's crust.
—Discover Magazine, 20 Oct. 2010
Recent Examples of Synonyms for rift valley
Noun
-
The impact of that realization, combined with the serenity and natural beauty of the canyon, make an unforgettable first impression.—
Asonta Benetti,
Condé Nast Traveler,
31 Jan. 2026
-
Right now, warm water is barely cresting the moraine, then flowing down a seabed canyon toward the glacier.—
Christian Elliott,
The Atlantic,
31 Jan. 2026
Noun
-
The Tri-Cities area has long been a hub for agriculture, wine and outdoor recreation, an area along the Snake River and Columbia River gorge that native Americans called the wintering grounds because of its temperate climate.—
Erik Matuszewski,
Forbes.com,
28 Jan. 2026
-
These single-pitch routes scale the park’s 60-foot-deep gorge and range from W12 to W13 in difficulty.—
Brian Higgins,
Outside,
28 Jan. 2026
Noun
-
Farther up the gulch, the water formed a pool, which gave off a rank chemical smell.—
Nick Bowlin,
ProPublica,
29 Oct. 2025
-
There were more creeks, high hills, big parks, passes, and open mountainsides with broken, timbered canyons and gulches.—
Fred C. Mercer,
Outdoor Life,
14 Aug. 2025
Noun
-
These low-lying clouds typically form in the valley during the colder months when winds are light and the soil is moist.—
Don Sweeney,
Sacbee.com,
1 Feb. 2026
-
At the end of a winding valley road deep in the Purcell Mountains, Panorama Mountain Resort feels like a secret fortress of skiing.—
Brent Rose,
Condé Nast Traveler,
1 Feb. 2026
Noun
-
Low fence markers can be seen outlining the building zone along Route 2, which slopes along open land, wooded patches and some ravines.—
Anna Ortiz,
Chicago Tribune,
31 Jan. 2026
-
In the foothills of the Himalayas, a wire on a cable car snaps, leaving eight passengers, including several schoolchildren, dangling 900 feet above a ravine awaiting rescue before the remaining cable fails.—
David Morgan,
CBS News,
22 Jan. 2026
Noun
-
On the other side of a shallow gully shrouded by large trees was a clearing several football fields in size, like a meadow.—
Scott Eden,
Rolling Stone,
1 Feb. 2026
-
The slide occurred on January 10 at Haiyaha Couloir, a steep gully in the park that is popular with backcountry skiers and snowboarders.—
Madison Dapcevich,
Outside,
13 Jan. 2026
Noun
-
Studies have shown that some medical conditions, like polycystic ovarian syndrome and depression, can also increase food noise, as can stress and inadequate sleep.—
Shiv Sudhakar,
FOXNews.com,
2 Feb. 2026
-
My body often shut down and I was overcome with anxiety and depression, unable to eat or sleep, hiding away in a dark room for days until the pain lifted.—
Fatima Bhutto,
Vogue,
31 Jan. 2026
Noun
-
This is also what allows what’s outside its doorstep to take precedence: the soul-stirring glens, spirit-rejuvenating streams, and craggy peaks of Cairngorms National Park.—
Arati Menon,
Condé Nast Traveler,
2 Jan. 2026
-
Easing out of Glasgow Central station, the Glasgow-to-Mallaig line follows the mighty River Clyde before darting into the wild glens of Loch Lomond.—
James March,
Travel + Leisure,
31 Oct. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Rift valley.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/rift%20valley. Accessed 7 Feb. 2026.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
