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
Some are surrounded by miniature fields, identifiable by alignments of boulders or cairns that were heaped up when the land was cleared of stones.
—
Literary Hub,
26 Jan. 2026
The Park Service recommends that people not disturb, knock down or add to cairns, though some parks caution visitors not to rely on them as official pathways.
—
Noah Lyons,
San Diego Union-Tribune,
24 Jan. 2026
Above the glacial lake Ullswater, prehistoric cairns and burial mounds dot the high moorland, including the Cockpit Stone Circle, which spans 90 feet.
—
Andrea Bussell,
Travel + Leisure,
27 Dec. 2025
Young Hopi men traditionally descended the rugged Salt Trail to the Little Colorado and Sípàapuni, contributing rocks to a cairn that still stands along the route and gathering salt to bring home.
—
Brandon Loomis,
AZCentral.com,
15 Dec. 2025
See All Example Sentences for cairn
Literary Hub,
26 Jan. 2026
The Park Service recommends that people not disturb, knock down or add to cairns, though some parks caution visitors not to rely on them as official pathways.
—
Noah Lyons,
San Diego Union-Tribune,
24 Jan. 2026
Above the glacial lake Ullswater, prehistoric cairns and burial mounds dot the high moorland, including the Cockpit Stone Circle, which spans 90 feet.
—
Andrea Bussell,
Travel + Leisure,
27 Dec. 2025
Young Hopi men traditionally descended the rugged Salt Trail to the Little Colorado and Sípàapuni, contributing rocks to a cairn that still stands along the route and gathering salt to bring home.
—
Brandon Loomis,
AZCentral.com,
15 Dec. 2025
See All Example Sentences for cairn
Recent Examples of Synonyms for cairn
Noun
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Putting diseased plant material in your compost pile and using unclean or dull pruning tools also increases the risk of transmitting issues from plant to plant.
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The growing pile of credible critics is a direct challenge to that thesis.
Noun
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Fittingly, on Saturday, Yamamoto took the mound against the Padres and threw seven shutout innings.
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Joyce was on the verge of returning to the major leagues in late May, but he was shut down and didn’t get back on a mound for nearly a month.
Noun
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Customers may notice a stack of small business cards at the hostess stand near the entrance.
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The perfect alternative to wearing your gold ring stacks to the beach.
Noun
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Whether your itinerary is packed with sweaty mountain hikes, relaxing beach days, or bopping around wine bars, staying cool is essential in summer heatwaves.
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That caught the attention of vineyard consultant Ken Swegles, who subsequently put him to work during harvest at dozens of small sites throughout the mountains.
Cite this Entry
“Cairn.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/cairn. Accessed 6 Jul. 2026.
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