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
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
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 tombstones
The Pontiac Gazette newspaper in Oakland County reported storm damage included apple and peach trees uprooted or twisted, churches destroyed, and cemetery tombstones blown down.
—
Paula Wethington, CBS News, 26 May 2026
The veil of past and present, for example, takes an abstract turn in Altar I, while Todos los santos (Para subir al Cielo) shows a cemetery with various cross-shaped tombstones, with a ladder leaning on a wall spectrally overlaid on the image.
—Maximilíano Durón, ARTnews.com, 22 May 2026
Workmen are erecting identical marble tombstones.
—ABC News, 25 Apr. 2026
In 1975, the museum purchased his work Georgia Gate, a structure of fluidly bent pine staves inspired by photos of Georgia tombstones the artist saw in musicologist Marshall Stearns’s 1970 book The Story of Jazz.
—News Desk, Artforum, 8 Mar. 2026
Last year, the City Council approved an ordinance to offer rewards for information involving theft of city plaques, tombstones, statues, light standards, and copper wire, and theft of metals linked to the Sixth Street Bridge.
—City News Service, Daily News, 18 Feb. 2026
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
Paula Wethington, CBS News, 26 May 2026
The veil of past and present, for example, takes an abstract turn in Altar I, while Todos los santos (Para subir al Cielo) shows a cemetery with various cross-shaped tombstones, with a ladder leaning on a wall spectrally overlaid on the image.
—Maximilíano Durón, ARTnews.com, 22 May 2026
Workmen are erecting identical marble tombstones.
—ABC News, 25 Apr. 2026
In 1975, the museum purchased his work Georgia Gate, a structure of fluidly bent pine staves inspired by photos of Georgia tombstones the artist saw in musicologist Marshall Stearns’s 1970 book The Story of Jazz.
—News Desk, Artforum, 8 Mar. 2026
Last year, the City Council approved an ordinance to offer rewards for information involving theft of city plaques, tombstones, statues, light standards, and copper wire, and theft of metals linked to the Sixth Street Bridge.
—City News Service, Daily News, 18 Feb. 2026
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
Recent Examples of Synonyms for tombstones
Noun
-
In Istanbul, a corn vendor is pulling bigger crowds than some of the city’s monuments.—
Maureen O'Hare,
CNN Money,
6 June 2026
-
As his birthday approached, social media was flooded with the hashtag #RaúlesRaúl, a political figure who has long been adverse to birthdays, monuments and statues, just like his brother.—
ABC News,
ABC News,
3 June 2026
Noun
-
The ancient Jewish burial practice of leaving visitation stones at a gravesite has many interpretations, but is often used as a form of remembrance.—
Christa Swanson,
CBS News,
8 June 2026
-
As Inga grows to adulthood the biggest dam has destroyed the lake’s shoreline, leaving it muddy and covered with stones.—
Mary Ann Grossmann,
Twin Cities,
7 June 2026
Noun
-
Haunted Mansion props on the parade floats will include the conservatory casket, cryptic gravestones, gargoyle candleholders, haunted armor and stretching room portraits, according to the concept art.—
Brady MacDonald,
Oc Register,
2 June 2026
-
Swapping gravestones for fieldstones That trend — along with a desire to improve deathcare — led Connell to partner with Ed Bixby, owner of Steelmantown Church in New Jersey, which operates several green cemeteries nationwide.—
Karina Tsui,
CNN Money,
18 May 2026
Noun
-
Dozens of mourners attended a memorial service in western Belgium on Wednesday during which six new white marble headstones were dedicated to the British soldiers whose remains were recently identified through the use of archival research and DNA analysis.—
ABC News,
ABC News,
10 June 2026
-
Stroll through the grounds for free and admire the intricate headstones and mausoleums.—
Krista Simmons,
Travel + Leisure,
6 June 2026
Noun
-
When activated, those cells begin clearing away existing amyloid plaques, a process that was associated with reduced plaque buildup and improved cognitive function, the study found.—
Kelly McGreal,
FOXNews.com,
3 Feb. 2026
-
And in mice with more advanced conditions, with unstable plaques that are more likely to rupture, treatment reduced the plaque size by 52%.—
New Atlas,
New Atlas,
26 Aug. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Tombstones.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/tombstones. Accessed 14 Jun. 2026.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
