altiplano

noun

ˌal-ti-ˈplä-(ˌ)nō How to pronounce altiplano (audio)
Definition of altiplanonext
as in plateau
a broad flat area of elevated land a cold wind from the Andes swept across the altiplano

Synonyms & Similar Words

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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 altiplano The world's largest salt flat covers 4,000 square miles of Bolivian altiplano. — Anne Olivia Bauso, Travel + Leisure, 8 Dec. 2021 The landscape changed around me; condensing from plains, desert, and mountains into the jungles of Central America, then unfolding in reverse, into the expanse of the altiplano. — J.r. Patterson, Condé Nast Traveler, 1 Feb. 2022 Tiwanaku communities first emerged in an altiplano, or high plain, of the Andes called the Titicaca Basin, named after Lake Titicaca. — Gina Park, CNN Money, 19 Aug. 2025 Built in the late 19 th century to transport the altiplano’s abundant metals and minerals, the railway line once ran from Bolivia’s de facto capital La Paz to the Pacific port of Antofagasta in Chile. — The Editors, Outside, 31 Aug. 2025 Which is why Steve Ruff, a planetary scientist at Arizona State University and a key player in the Home Plate analysis, traveled thousands of miles to El Tatio, a series of hot springs in the rare air of Chile’s altiplano. — Jeffrey Marlow, Discover Magazine, 28 Nov. 2016
Recent Examples of Synonyms for altiplano
  1. plateau
  2. highland
  3. mesa
  4. tableland
Noun
  • Located in Florina, in northwestern Greece, the region lies on a high plateau ringed by jagged peaks, with freshwater lakes below.
    — Lauren Mowery, Forbes.com, 29 June 2026
  • Perched on the edge of a rocky plateau above the village, its sleek, ultra-modern rooms open onto balconies with views of the rooftops below and the Matterhorn beyond.
    — Alexandra Emanuelli, Travel + Leisure, 28 June 2026
Definition of plateau
Noun
  • The Simbari people of Papua New Guinea’s eastern highlands separate boys from their mothers around the age of nine.
    — Elizabeth Kolbert, New Yorker, 22 June 2026
  • The Macallan Importantly, this is the first time that Macallan fans will be able to have this type of experience without going through global travel retail or venturing into the heart of the remote Scottish highlands.
    — Mark Littler, Forbes.com, 18 June 2026
Definition of highland
Noun
  • Beginning in the late 1960s, artists abandoned galleries in favour of deserts, salt flats, mesas, and remote terrain, using these surroundings as both setting and material.
    — Lara Johnson-Wheeler, Vogue, 3 July 2026
  • Together, Groves and Oppenheimer chose an isolated mesa near Los Alamos, New Mexico, where a secret laboratory—and eventually a secret city—would be built to design the world's first atomic bomb.
    — Rebecca Coffey, Forbes.com, 30 June 2026
Definition of mesa
Noun
  • Only a depression in the ground remains at the Ingalls Dugout Site, but eagle-eyed visitors can still spot the spring, tablelands, thickets of plum trees, and other landmarksr described in the book of the same name.
    — Alicia Underlee Nelson, Midwest Living, 22 June 2026
  • Pedro Cervantes painted jewellike vistas of New Mexico’s tablelands.
    — John P. Murphy, ARTnews.com, 5 Apr. 2026
Definition of tableland

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Cite this Entry

“Altiplano.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/altiplano. Accessed 8 Jul. 2026.

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More from Merriam-Webster on altiplano

Britannica.com: Encyclopedia article about altiplano

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