scarps

noun

plural of scarp
as in cliffs
a steep wall of rock, earth, or ice years of violent ocean storms had heavily eroded the beach, creating a scarp along one end of it

Synonyms & Similar Words

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Example Sentences

Recent Examples of Synonyms for scarps
  1. cliffs
  2. escarpments
Noun
  • Up until about 20 years ago, a faint trail up a steep hill through limestone-and-chalk cliffs was the only way to reach Beket-Ata, one of the sacred underground mosques—as they’re colloquially known—of Kazakhstan’s Mangystau desert.
    — Avantika Chaturvedi, Architectural Digest, 5 Nov. 2026
  • For those who have stood beneath Zion's towering sandstone cliffs and immediately started plotting a return trip, this little pairing is a fun way to keep the scenery close.
    — Jessica Chapel, Condé Nast Traveler, 4 Nov. 2026
Definition of cliffs
Noun
  • Their reconstruction suggests that the Grand Canyon region once sat near an ancient continental margin in a position comparable to modern great escarpments found in places such as South Africa and Brazil.
    — Kaif Shaikh, Interesting Engineering, 21 Aug. 2026
  • Just as the sun prepared to sink beyond the escarpments, its rays struck every piece of the fractured glass resting on top of the window frames, alighting all of them at once, as if they were shot with electricity.
    — New York Times, New York Times, 16 Mar. 2026
Definition of escarpments
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.

Browse Nearby Words

scarpers
scarps
scarred
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Cite this Entry

“Scarps.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/scarps. Accessed 13 Nov. 2026.

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