as in pile
a small quantity of stones heaped together that usually marks a place
A cairn of loose stones marked the site.
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Recent Examples of cairn
Most remarkable is the cairn-tomb of Gavrinis, one of Europe's great repositories of megalithic art, its interior replete with swirling patterns carved into the rock some 6,000 years ago.
—
The Week Uk, theweek, 12 Oct. 2024
The bones excavated at the site were returned to King William Island in 1994 and interred in a memorial cairn.
—Katie Hunt, CNN, 11 Oct. 2024
Ranger died in 1940 and was buried at the summit of Mount Hood, which is marked by a stone cairn and an engraved plaque.
—Meira Gebel, Axios, 20 Sep. 2024
The trail can be confusing so keep an eye open for cairns and tree notches serving as trail markers.
—Roger Naylor, The Arizona Republic, 18 Sep. 2024
See All Example Sentences for cairn
The Week Uk, theweek, 12 Oct. 2024
The bones excavated at the site were returned to King William Island in 1994 and interred in a memorial cairn.
—Katie Hunt, CNN, 11 Oct. 2024
Ranger died in 1940 and was buried at the summit of Mount Hood, which is marked by a stone cairn and an engraved plaque.
—Meira Gebel, Axios, 20 Sep. 2024
The trail can be confusing so keep an eye open for cairns and tree notches serving as trail markers.
—Roger Naylor, The Arizona Republic, 18 Sep. 2024
See All Example Sentences for cairn
Recent Examples of Synonyms for cairn
Noun
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Afterward, Tharp joined Copeland on stage, a bouquet of flowers in hand — the first of many, many colleagues and collaborators emerging from the wings to congratulate Copeland, as golden confetti rained down and the pile of bouquets on the stage swelled.—
Kristen Tauer,
Footwear News,
23 Oct. 2025
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Or a pile of stones where once there had been a convent.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
23 Oct. 2025
Noun
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Wong opts for a Belgian-style waffle, with deep cups ready to absorb the golf-ball-sized mound of sambal-honey butter on top.—
Alana Al-Hatlani,
Southern Living,
25 Oct. 2025
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The score was just 2-2 at the start of the inning, and Dodgers' two-time Cy Young award winner Blake Snell was on the mound.—
Gabe Smallson,
MSNBC Newsweek,
25 Oct. 2025
Noun
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In Week 6, a skinny stack of George Pickens and Rico Dowdle was utilized in the Milly Maker-winning lineup, but Drake Maye was the focal point of the build.—
Eddie Brown,
San Diego Union-Tribune,
25 Oct. 2025
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Two months later, a year of research and writing had amounted to a tall stack of yellow legal tablet sheets in search of a guiding principle.—
Cameron Crowe,
HollywoodReporter,
24 Oct. 2025
Noun
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Yet stimulatory or not, America’s economy has a mountain to climb before Washington’s debts align more appropriately with its economic context.—
Eleanor Pringle,
Fortune,
27 Oct. 2025
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Today, Leadville blends its rugged past with a love of the outdoors and small-town vibes with big-mountain adventure.—
Karthika Gupta,
Travel + Leisure,
27 Oct. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Cairn.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/cairn. Accessed 30 Oct. 2025.
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