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steppe

noun

ˈstep How to pronounce steppe (audio)
Definition of steppenext
as in prairie
a broad area of level or rolling treeless country nomads have long grazed yaks on the steppes of Mongolia

Synonyms & Similar Words

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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 steppe Akiyama landed back on Earth on December 10, 1990, touching down on the steppe of Kazakhstan with cosmonauts Gennadi Manakov and Gennady Strekalov on board Soyuz TM-10. — Robert Pearlman, ArsTechnica, 2 Sep. 2026 The desire to see Russia as singularly the product of its steppe heritage ends up distorting and simplifying this history. — Foreign Affairs, 18 Aug. 2026 The unification of the Eurasian steppes under Genghis Khan and his successors—Ögödei, Möngke, and Kublai Khan—brought many of these trade routes under a single political authority for the first time. — Ethan Teekah, Encyclopedia Britannica, 13 Aug. 2026 With its views of a stratovolcano, glaciers, old-growth forests, alpine habitats, and a mix of mountain and steppe landscapes, the Chinook Scenic Byway more than fulfills that brief. — Zoe Baillargeon, Travel + Leisure, 10 Aug. 2026 See All Example Sentences for steppe
Recent Examples of Synonyms for steppe
  1. prairie
  2. plain
  3. grassland
  4. savanna
  5. pampa
Noun
  • On Sunday, the American pope celebrated Mass before some 150,000 people — many in wheelchairs — on the prairie next to Lourdes’ main basilica.
    — Nicole Winfield, Los Angeles Times, 27 Sep. 2026
  • On Sunday, the American pope celebrated Mass before some 150,000 people — many in wheelchairs — on the prairie next to Lourdes' main basilica.
    — ABC News, ABC News, 27 Sep. 2026
Definition of prairie
Noun
  • The plains were a far smoother ride, and both our joints and the Jeep’s suspension settled down to coast over kilometres of unbroken grassland.
    — Literary Hub, Literary Hub, 22 Sep. 2026
  • Animals started tracking across the plain, their eyes glinting in the flashlights Cordova and Heimann swept back and forth.
    — Shi En Kim, AZCentral.com, 21 Sep. 2026
Definition of plain
Noun
  • Today, the property remains framed by mature specimen plantings, a sweeping grassland meadow, walking paths, and the historic Piping Rock—a geological landmark tied to local Native American lore.
    — Wendy Bowman, Robb Report, 24 Sep. 2026
  • More than 85% of the world’s wetlands are gone, according to researchers, and North America has already lost more than half its grasslands.
    — Story Hinckley, Christian Science Monitor, 23 Sep. 2026
Definition of grassland
Noun
  • The center of the activities was a grove, within a ring of trees, considered to be one of the oldest oak savannas in the state.
    — Gregory Harutunian, Chicago Tribune, 25 Aug. 2026
  • With a glorious mane of glowing purple gas and dust, the Lion Nebula sparkles on the cosmic savanna in this new image captured by the James Webb Space Telescope.
    — Chelsea Gohd, Space.com, 11 Aug. 2026
Definition of savanna
Noun
  • Hundreds, thousands of solar panels are distributed like macropixels among ravines, pampas, slopes, and wherever there’s room for them.
    — Cristina Dorador, The Dial, 14 July 2026
  • Participants travel by horseback to South American landscapes few people ever reach, from vast valleys and sweeping pampas to ancient lenga forests and high plateaus populated with condors.
    — Beth Luberecki, USA Today, 6 June 2026
Definition of pampa

Browse Nearby Words

stepparents
steppe
stepped
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Cite this Entry

“Steppe.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/steppe. Accessed 29 Sep. 2026.

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More from Merriam-Webster on steppe

Britannica.com: Encyclopedia article about steppe

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