cliff

noun

: a very steep, vertical, or overhanging face of rock, earth, or ice : precipice
cliffy adjective

Examples of cliff in a Sentence

Standing at the edge of the cliff, we watched the waves crash on the shore far below. rock climbers scaling steep cliffs
Recent Examples on the Web Police did not say exactly what the driver was doing before the car went airborne off the cliff. Pilar Arias, Fox News, 2 Mar. 2024 The rugged terrain of the Canadian River Valley, where the fire started, was another major obstacle for firefighters, because fire trucks cannot navigate some of the cliffs, valleys and steep hills in the area. Anna Betts, New York Times, 29 Feb. 2024 The driver of the Jeep that fell off the cliff was swept out to sea about 100 yards and then directed back to shore. Cnn.com Wire Service, The Mercury News, 28 Feb. 2024 Economists widely expect growth to slow this year, but not fall off a cliff. Bryan Mena, CNN, 27 Feb. 2024 This is the right moment to jump off the cliff and hope to land on a pile of soft foam blocks instead of a row of jagged rocks. Helene Elliott, Los Angeles Times, 27 Feb. 2024 Wisconsin schools are facing fiscal cliffs, closing buildings and going to referendum. Rory Linnane, Journal Sentinel, 26 Feb. 2024 This landing site is near some craters and cliffs, on the side of the moon that is visible from the Earth and could be prime future landing spot for astronauts. Laura Baisas, Popular Science, 22 Feb. 2024 Casey Schmitt’s heralded defense didn’t translate to shortstop, and his hitting fell off a cliff. Evan Webeck, The Mercury News, 20 Feb. 2024

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'cliff.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Word History

Etymology

Middle English clif, from Old English; akin to Old High German klep cliff, Old Norse klif

First Known Use

before the 12th century, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of cliff was before the 12th century

Dictionary Entries Near cliff

Cite this Entry

“Cliff.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/cliff. Accessed 19 Mar. 2024.

Kids Definition

cliff

noun
: a high steep surface of rock, earth, or ice

More from Merriam-Webster on cliff

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
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