as in monuments
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 tombstones
His people had been in the area since the early nineteenth century, and the tombstones were worn and covered in lichen.
—
Lawrence Wright, The New Yorker, 29 Dec. 2024
To avoid legal repercussions, the crew constructed a series of fake foam tombstones to strategically block real ones, complete with fictitious names that jokingly nodded to the cast and crew.
—Jordan Runtagh, People.com, 23 Dec. 2024
Craters and crushed tombstones at the local cemetery speak to the intensity of bombardment.
—Dominique Soguel, The Christian Science Monitor, 16 Dec. 2024
There are lots of tombstones of great tech companies that don’t reinvent themselves.
—Alex Heath, The Verge, 6 Dec. 2024
Put tombstones in flowerbeds, hang spiders from windows, or add a spooky wreath.
—Maggie Gillette, Better Homes & Gardens, 11 Oct. 2024
These can be tombstones cut out of cardboard boxes, using old stockings as spider webs, and getting creative with the leaves and branches in your yard to make festive decorations.
—Karl Schneider, The Indianapolis Star, 7 Oct. 2024
The nearby cemetery is full of tombstones for young men who recently died; the previous year, a young man had been found ripped apart in the forest.
—Bekah Waalkes, The Atlantic, 3 Oct. 2024
Not surprisingly, most drew flags, tombstones, and crosses.
—Vicki Cox, The Christian Science Monitor, 1 Oct. 2024
Lawrence Wright, The New Yorker, 29 Dec. 2024
To avoid legal repercussions, the crew constructed a series of fake foam tombstones to strategically block real ones, complete with fictitious names that jokingly nodded to the cast and crew.
—Jordan Runtagh, People.com, 23 Dec. 2024
Craters and crushed tombstones at the local cemetery speak to the intensity of bombardment.
—Dominique Soguel, The Christian Science Monitor, 16 Dec. 2024
There are lots of tombstones of great tech companies that don’t reinvent themselves.
—Alex Heath, The Verge, 6 Dec. 2024
Put tombstones in flowerbeds, hang spiders from windows, or add a spooky wreath.
—Maggie Gillette, Better Homes & Gardens, 11 Oct. 2024
These can be tombstones cut out of cardboard boxes, using old stockings as spider webs, and getting creative with the leaves and branches in your yard to make festive decorations.
—Karl Schneider, The Indianapolis Star, 7 Oct. 2024
The nearby cemetery is full of tombstones for young men who recently died; the previous year, a young man had been found ripped apart in the forest.
—Bekah Waalkes, The Atlantic, 3 Oct. 2024
Not surprisingly, most drew flags, tombstones, and crosses.
—Vicki Cox, The Christian Science Monitor, 1 Oct. 2024
Recent Examples of Synonyms for tombstones
Noun
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Parker is about a two-hour drive from Joshua Tree National Park, and Arizona is home to a number of National Park Service monuments, memorials, recreation areas, and historic sites (plus, of course, the Grand Canyon).—
Travel + Leisure Editors,
Travel + Leisure,
11 Mar. 2025
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National parks, monuments and other sites would technically be closed to the public.—
Eric Lagatta,
USA TODAY,
10 Mar. 2025
Noun
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Services at the gravestones of Henrik Ibsen and Bjørnstjerne Bjørnson are among many that take place before 9am.—
David Nikel,
Forbes,
8 Mar. 2025
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Nineteenth-century gravestones that turned out to be half-buried had surprises waiting just below the surface, such as sculptures of squirrels and dragons that looked unfamiliar on Polish Jewish graves, said Wrzosinski.—
Shira Li Bartov,
Sun Sentinel,
27 Feb. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Tombstones.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/tombstones. Accessed 7 May. 2025.
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