rift valleys

noun

plural of rift valley
as in canyons

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Example Sentences

Recent Examples of Synonyms for rift valleys
  1. canyons
  2. gullies
  3. gulches
  4. gorges
  5. valleys
  6. ravines
  7. depressions
  8. glens
Noun
  • When the sun goes down, the wind picks up in central New Mexico, whipping through arid canyons with a ghostly howl that for centuries, locals have likened to the wails of the folkloric ghost La Llorona.
    — Sara Herschander, Vox, 22 Oct. 2026
  • The last major blaze to sweep through the area was the 2018 Woolsey Fire, meaning brush in most of those canyons has not been cleared for about eight years.
    — Tom Tapp, Deadline, 16 Oct. 2026
Definition of canyons
Noun
  • Shallow gullies and narrow inlets along the cove’s limestone edges shelter schools of sergeant majors, wrasses, and other reef fish.
    — Sarah Bruning, Travel + Leisure, 17 Oct. 2026
  • There were large puddles of waste around the camp and in the gullies between tents.
    — Ben Taub, New Yorker, 12 Oct. 2026
Definition of gullies
Noun
  • Plastic waste flutters and settles into gulches, catches in the fencing.
    — Cristina Dorador, The Dial, 14 July 2026
  • Head right, and there came public land, the Shasta-Trinity National Forest with its creeks and gulches and two-bit towns like Peanut and Beegum.
    — Literary Hub, Literary Hub, 22 June 2026
Definition of gulches
Noun
  • The Ivy League college where fraternities throw parties in towering mansions and students weave between deep gorges on their way to class is being rocked over the handling of rape allegations from 2024.
    — Grey Battle, Washington Post, 11 Oct. 2026
  • Cliffs teeter at 1,640 feet, before tumbling down in a flurry of vineyards and walking trails to the rushing rivers and gorges of Sil and Miño.
    — Olivia Morelli, Condé Nast Traveler, 29 Sep. 2026
Definition of gorges
Noun
  • One element that makes California’s mountains, meadows, foothills and valleys so special are their native plants, which have long provided habitat for native species.
    — Pedro Moura, Los Angeles Times, 29 Oct. 2026
  • The device reproduced the fingerprint's tiny ridges and valleys, demonstrating an impressive spatial resolution of 30 micrometers (847 dpi).
    — New Atlas, New Atlas, 27 Oct. 2026
Definition of valleys
Noun
  • This 150-acre Clayton County preserve sits near shopping centers and busy roads, but its trails wind through woodlands, ravines and ponds that feel worlds away from metro Atlanta.
    — Nicole Bennett, AJC.com, 16 Oct. 2026
  • Many more were imperiled by muddy water racing through the narrow ravines, sparking frantic rescue missions for dozens.
    — Holly Yan, CNN Money, 1 Sep. 2026
Definition of ravines
Noun
  • Advertisement Per the Constitution, the federal government has carried out a national census every decade since 1790—through wars, depressions, and pandemics.
    — Julie Morita, Time, 25 Oct. 2026
  • Old channels linger as soft depressions across the floodplain, now filled with bog vegetation in muted shades of yellow, green, and brown—living traces of flowing water long since gone.
    — Literary Hub, Literary Hub, 16 Oct. 2026
Definition of depressions
Noun
  • Set in the modern Scottish Highlands, Laird is an epic family saga in which a proud Scot, Drummoch (Branagh), defies a shadowy American billionaire, Peter Bergstrom (Sarsgaard), hellbent on buying up the glens.
    — Max Goldbart, Deadline, 22 Oct. 2026
  • Travelers familiar with Scotland’s Isle of Skye may recognize this recipe for remote luxury, though rather than craggy cliffs and emerald-green glens, Noirmoutier is closer to a little slice of California.
    — Laura Dannen Redman, Robb Report, 15 Oct. 2026
Definition of glens
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.

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rift valley
rift valleys
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Cite this Entry

“Rift valleys.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/rift%20valleys. Accessed 31 Oct. 2026.

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