1
as in areas
a region of activity, knowledge, or influence
we're moving into unfamiliar terrain if we bring pre-Columbian art into our discussion
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
2
as in geographies
the physical features of a region as a whole
an analysis of the terrain revealed that an invasion force of paratroopers would have their work cut out for them
Synonyms & Similar Words
3
as in environments
the circumstances, conditions, or objects by which one is surrounded
a new senator getting lost in the foggy terrain of double-dealing and deception
Synonyms & Similar Words
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 terrains
Eurobotics and autonomous walking Eurobotics has made significant advances in the walking technology for indoor and outdoor industrial sites, including rough terrains.
—
Atharva Gosavi, Interesting Engineering, 30 Sep. 2025
In just a matter of hours, damaging winds and record-breaking flooding started to devastate many areas, especially the higher terrains of the southeastern Appalachians.
—Sam Gillette, PEOPLE, 26 Sep. 2025
Four-legged robots are making great strides in their ability to safely traverse complex terrains.
—IEEE Spectrum, 24 Sep. 2025
In Let’s Play Ball, two rival teams of comedians go head-to-head in a race to transport a gigantic ball across various terrains.
—Max Goldbart, Deadline, 9 Sep. 2025
Boston Dynamics’ Spot robot, for instance, is able to navigate complex terrains by adapting in real time, while DeepMind’s AlphaFold is solving a 50-year-old protein structure challenge.
—Punnam Raju Manthena, Forbes.com, 27 Aug. 2025
With more than a decade of operation, Curiosity has traveled across varied terrains, drilled into bedrock and monitored the Martian climate, all while sending back detailed images and data that continue to shape scientists' understanding of Mars's history.
—Kenna Hughes-Castleberry, Space.com, 21 Aug. 2025
The resources include water tenders which provide water to fire engines; handcrews that specialize in fighting fires in wild terrains; and bulldozers which are used to control the spread of the fire by removing vegetation that can serve as fuel.
—Michael Loria, USA Today, 20 Aug. 2025
Veterans like Kareem Campbell and Bob Burnquist shred terrains to tracks that embody their skate style.
—Jamal Michel, New York Times, 18 Aug. 2025
Atharva Gosavi, Interesting Engineering, 30 Sep. 2025
In just a matter of hours, damaging winds and record-breaking flooding started to devastate many areas, especially the higher terrains of the southeastern Appalachians.
—Sam Gillette, PEOPLE, 26 Sep. 2025
Four-legged robots are making great strides in their ability to safely traverse complex terrains.
—IEEE Spectrum, 24 Sep. 2025
In Let’s Play Ball, two rival teams of comedians go head-to-head in a race to transport a gigantic ball across various terrains.
—Max Goldbart, Deadline, 9 Sep. 2025
Boston Dynamics’ Spot robot, for instance, is able to navigate complex terrains by adapting in real time, while DeepMind’s AlphaFold is solving a 50-year-old protein structure challenge.
—Punnam Raju Manthena, Forbes.com, 27 Aug. 2025
With more than a decade of operation, Curiosity has traveled across varied terrains, drilled into bedrock and monitored the Martian climate, all while sending back detailed images and data that continue to shape scientists' understanding of Mars's history.
—Kenna Hughes-Castleberry, Space.com, 21 Aug. 2025
The resources include water tenders which provide water to fire engines; handcrews that specialize in fighting fires in wild terrains; and bulldozers which are used to control the spread of the fire by removing vegetation that can serve as fuel.
—Michael Loria, USA Today, 20 Aug. 2025
Veterans like Kareem Campbell and Bob Burnquist shred terrains to tracks that embody their skate style.
—Jamal Michel, New York Times, 18 Aug. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for terrains
Noun
-
His work with rural counties has earned favorable notices, but in urban areas like Phoenix, many of the experts in Joan's reporting raised questions about Livar's effectiveness.—
Shaun McKinnon,
AZCentral.com,
30 Sep. 2025
-
Miner did not say whether a decline in international students would hurt UC's finances but indicated that administrators are shifting enrollment efforts to other areas abroad.—
David Ferrara,
Cincinnati Enquirer,
30 Sep. 2025
Noun
-
Among the new movie’s strengths is its use of the Golden State as a canvas, a move that provides Anderson with stunning political and natural geographies to explore.—
Graham Hillard,
The Washington Examiner,
3 Oct. 2025
-
The cowboy boot is a timeless footwear classic—one that reaches across geographies, generations, and styles.—
Shelton Boyd-Griffith,
Vogue,
2 Oct. 2025
Noun
-
Some models also feature adaptive noise cancellation to adjust ANC levels and ambient modes to allow specific sounds through, which helps noise control across different environments.—
Jackie Cucco,
Travel + Leisure,
2 Oct. 2025
-
Known for its use in video games, the virtual reality setup creates hyper-realistic 3D environments.—
Georgina Jedikovska,
Interesting Engineering,
2 Oct. 2025
Noun
-
This month invites you into the realms of emotional mastery and deep inner work.—
Meghan Rose,
Glamour,
1 Oct. 2025
-
Even more troubling, the attacks escalated into more personal realms, with Minaj making disparaging comments about Cardi B’s pregnancy, and mentioning her children explicitly.—
Jeff Ihaza,
Rolling Stone,
1 Oct. 2025
Noun
-
The climb goes through coastal sage scrub and chaparral landscapes.—
Carlos Rico,
San Diego Union-Tribune,
29 Sep. 2025
-
The latter were sometimes embroidered on his signature woolen cardigans and shawls bearing stylized versions of placid landscapes, bandana patterns or geometric motifs.—
Sandra Salibian,
Footwear News,
29 Sep. 2025
Noun
-
If models like Claude are able to become more capable of autonomous work, especially in complex, time-intensive domains like software engineering, the implications for businesses and employees could be significant.—
Beatrice Nolan,
Fortune,
29 Sep. 2025
-
Hackers often create lookalike domains that look nearly identical to real ones, adding small spelling changes or extra words.—
Kurt Knutsson,
FOXNews.com,
29 Sep. 2025
Noun
-
In it, Sunset has picked 10 tasting rooms (or appellations with good tasting options), from classic vineyards to producers of zero-proof beverages, that should delight everyone with their delectable offerings, innovative techniques and visually stimulating atmospheres.—
John Metcalfe,
Mercury News,
25 Sep. 2025
-
The Future At NASA, the future of exoplanet science will emphasize finding rocky planets similar to Earth and studying their atmospheres for biosignatures — any characteristic, element, molecule, substance, or feature that can be used as evidence of past or present life, says the space agency.—
Bruce Dorminey,
Forbes.com,
19 Sep. 2025
Noun
-
Ultimately, the goal is to spark a conversation, and give casual fans a chance to argue with Emanuel, Persky, and some of the world’s experts in their respective fields.—
Alex Weprin,
HollywoodReporter,
29 Sep. 2025
-
The area has flat dirt trails for hikers and bikers, rock canyons and open grass fields.—
Carlos Rico,
San Diego Union-Tribune,
29 Sep. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Terrains.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/terrains. Accessed 6 Oct. 2025.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
Share