as in plains
a broad area of level or rolling treeless country
nomads have long grazed yaks on the steppes of Mongolia
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Recent Examples of steppes
Folktales are filled with people fighting to survive in forests, steppes, and deserts, and evading and outwitting the wild beasts that dwell within them.
—
Literary Hub, 18 Feb. 2026
Even today, its influence stretches from the steppes of Kazakhstan to the far reaches of low Earth orbit.
—Kenna Hughes-Castleberry, Space.com, 15 Feb. 2026
Rather than having to find their own sales channels, participating farmers working off tiny plots on mountain steppes can sell their corn to the company at a set price for unified processing, before the corn is sold online and to major distributors.
—Evelyn Cheng, CNBC, 11 Feb. 2026
All 40 rooms in the low-lying, two-story building look onto the park’s iconic towers, with large windows to catch Patagonia’s expansive steppes and skies.
—Sarah Marshall, Condé Nast Traveler, 22 Jan. 2026
Unlike Argentina’s open steppes, Chilean Patagonia hugs the Pacific coast and is carved by glacial valleys covered in with dense vegetation.
—Eric Sheets, Travel + Leisure, 5 Dec. 2025
The gene expression in the muscle tissue suggested a predominance of slow-twitch muscle fibers indicating the mammoth's muscles were built for stamina, ideal for long, steady travel across the cold, expansive steppes.
—Jay Kakade
december 03, New Atlas, 3 Dec. 2025
In Mongolia’s eastern steppes, an initiative implemented by the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations is helping farmers revive more than 11,000 hectares of cropland through no-till farming and intercropping—restoring productivity while protecting ecosystems.
—Kaveh Zahedi, Time, 3 Nov. 2025
The mighty Sino-Spanish Empire balloons to rule much of Asia, and then expands westward, across the Central Asian steppes.
—Big Think, 29 Oct. 2025
Literary Hub, 18 Feb. 2026
Even today, its influence stretches from the steppes of Kazakhstan to the far reaches of low Earth orbit.
—Kenna Hughes-Castleberry, Space.com, 15 Feb. 2026
Rather than having to find their own sales channels, participating farmers working off tiny plots on mountain steppes can sell their corn to the company at a set price for unified processing, before the corn is sold online and to major distributors.
—Evelyn Cheng, CNBC, 11 Feb. 2026
All 40 rooms in the low-lying, two-story building look onto the park’s iconic towers, with large windows to catch Patagonia’s expansive steppes and skies.
—Sarah Marshall, Condé Nast Traveler, 22 Jan. 2026
Unlike Argentina’s open steppes, Chilean Patagonia hugs the Pacific coast and is carved by glacial valleys covered in with dense vegetation.
—Eric Sheets, Travel + Leisure, 5 Dec. 2025
The gene expression in the muscle tissue suggested a predominance of slow-twitch muscle fibers indicating the mammoth's muscles were built for stamina, ideal for long, steady travel across the cold, expansive steppes.
—Jay Kakade
december 03, New Atlas, 3 Dec. 2025
In Mongolia’s eastern steppes, an initiative implemented by the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations is helping farmers revive more than 11,000 hectares of cropland through no-till farming and intercropping—restoring productivity while protecting ecosystems.
—Kaveh Zahedi, Time, 3 Nov. 2025
The mighty Sino-Spanish Empire balloons to rule much of Asia, and then expands westward, across the Central Asian steppes.
—Big Think, 29 Oct. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for steppes
Noun
-
Heat in Los Angeles will peak March 17 through March 19, with highs between 90 and 103 degrees across coastal plains, valleys and the interior region.—
Jeanine Santucci,
USA Today,
17 Mar. 2026
-
These mammals are found across North America, residing in every kind of habitat from hardwood forests to coastal plains to swamps.—
Arricca Elin SanSone,
Southern Living,
16 Mar. 2026
Noun
-
Now, almost all the prairies are gone, and much of the woods, too.—
Doug Ross,
Chicago Tribune,
15 Mar. 2026
-
Hundreds of thousands of acres, including many former rice plantations, have been conserved in the area between Beaufort and Charleston, and marshes there stretch out like coastal prairies.—
Thad Moore,
AJC.com,
10 Mar. 2026
Noun
-
The burn will help keep native grasses healthy and growing, which supports bobolinks and other wildlife that depend on open grasslands.—
Staff Report,
Hartford Courant,
14 Mar. 2026
-
The species typically grows in grasslands that have been gently managed over long periods and support diverse wildlife — habitats where decades of light intervention create conditions for uncommon species to take hold.—
Hanna Wickes,
Charlotte Observer,
13 Mar. 2026
Noun
-
No colonial power had ever controlled the swamps and savannas of the interior—an alien land of lagoons, glade marshes, prairies, and hardwood thickets.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
23 Feb. 2026
-
The park offers one of the most exciting wildlife experiences in Southern Africa, with a million acres of biodiverse savannas, wetlands, and montane rainforests, and a range of animals that includes buffalo herds, lion prides, and an array of birds.—
Lisa Grainger,
Condé Nast Traveler,
10 Feb. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Steppes.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/steppes. Accessed 21 Mar. 2026.
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