Definition of terra firmanext
as in soil
the solid part of our planet's surface as distinguished from the sea and air after that nightmarish storm, the sailors were grateful to reach terra firma

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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 terra firma Those folks at Six Flags Fiesta Texas in San Antonio were only dangling 200 feet above terra firma for ten minutes, but for this hombre, that’s ten minutes too many. Matt Reigle Outkick, FOXNews.com, 1 May 2026 Her leadership has been just as essential on terra firma, guiding SpaceX in its recent acquisition of xAI as well as the April announcement of its IPO. Arianna Huffington, Time, 15 Apr. 2026 And that's important, because Orion — like the Apollo capsules before it — is designed to splash down in the ocean, not land on terra firma. Mike Wall, Space.com, 10 Apr. 2026 The same equipment that keeps the Grenadier gripped up and comfortable on the terra firma also behooves its ride around town. Peter Nelson, Forbes.com, 28 Jan. 2026 See All Example Sentences for terra firma
Recent Examples of Synonyms for terra firma
Noun
  • Both areas have deep sediment soil that sit atop alluvial valleys.
    Syra Ortiz-Blanes, Miami Herald, 24 July 2026
  • The company is seen as pivotal to bringing chip manufacturing back to American soil, following decades of it shifting to Asia.
    Bloomberg, Mercury News, 24 July 2026
Noun
  • Alaska’s remote, hard-to-reach capital is the largest state capital in the nation by land mass and there sure is a lot to love.
    Maureen O'Hare, CNN Money, 25 July 2026
  • What was once a busy crossing between the two countries is now a quiet, mine-laden stretch of land closed off to civilians.
    ABC News, ABC News, 25 July 2026
Noun
  • But lawyers for the Haitians maintained a narrow challenge on constitutional grounds.
    Jacqueline Charles, Miami Herald, 23 July 2026
  • History makes clear that the deployment of large ground formations is no guarantee of strategic success.
    David A. Deptula, Forbes.com, 22 July 2026
Noun
  • Exciting, hard-working and down to earth, his star quality far surpassed anything seen at The Dell before — or at Southampton since.
    James Pearce, New York Times, 22 July 2026
  • The record there shows us a circle of 15-foot-high limestone walls with towers and ramparts on a verdant coastal plain, not a desert city of earth and clay.
    Harrison Jacobs, ARTnews.com, 22 July 2026

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Cite this Entry

“Terra firma.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/terra%20firma. Accessed 25 Jul. 2026.

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