as in monument
a shaped stone laid over or erected near a grave and usually bearing an inscription to identify and preserve the memory of the deceased
the historic cemetery's many tombstones marking the graves of children are telling reminders of the harshness of pioneer life
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Recent Examples of tombstone
By day the place was filled with different sorts of tombstones, many of them inside ornamental enclosures.
—
Literary Hub, 13 Feb. 2026
People used to come to my hotel and leave tombstones and pictures of dead babies.
—Jon Blistein, Rolling Stone, 11 Feb. 2026
Their names are listed in the African American Museum’s exhibit, but not at the cemetery as there are no tombstones left there – except for a few.
—Dallas Morning News, 31 Jan. 2026
Unless a slang term emerges from a popular movie, pinpointing an exact date of birth is difficult (hence the question marks on the tombstone).
—Michael Tedder, The Atlantic, 25 Jan. 2026
See All Example Sentences for tombstone
Literary Hub, 13 Feb. 2026
People used to come to my hotel and leave tombstones and pictures of dead babies.
—Jon Blistein, Rolling Stone, 11 Feb. 2026
Their names are listed in the African American Museum’s exhibit, but not at the cemetery as there are no tombstones left there – except for a few.
—Dallas Morning News, 31 Jan. 2026
Unless a slang term emerges from a popular movie, pinpointing an exact date of birth is difficult (hence the question marks on the tombstone).
—Michael Tedder, The Atlantic, 25 Jan. 2026
See All Example Sentences for tombstone
Recent Examples of Synonyms for tombstone
Noun
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The James Marshall monument was built at the urging of Native Sons of the Golden West, a fraternal organization devoted to preserving California’s settler past; members had to be white men born in the state.—
Jennifer Wilson,
New Yorker,
4 May 2026
-
Rather than being surrounded by six lanes of asphalt and rushing traffic, people would easy have access to rest comfortably around the monument.—
Lucius Riccio,
New York Daily News,
3 May 2026
Noun
-
The runway begins a stone’s throw from the edge of the highway.—
Los Angeles Times,
Los Angeles Times,
5 May 2026
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The steps of the Met tonight resemble a mossy stone staircase bordered by lush hedge walls.—
Dalila Muata,
NBC news,
5 May 2026
Noun
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Microplastics have also been found in human blood, placentas, lungs, and arterial plaque.—
Justin Zorn,
STAT,
28 Apr. 2026
-
There is a color scale that identifies the areas where plaque starts to develop.—
Ryan Canfield,
FOXNews.com,
26 Apr. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Tombstone.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/tombstone. Accessed 5 May. 2026.
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