as in canyon
a narrow opening between hillsides or mountains that can be used for passage
a remote col in the Alps
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
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 col
The French Alps Why: Conquering the storied HC (hors catégorie) climbs and cols of the French Alps provides the ultimate cycling bragging rights.
—
Jen Murphy, Outside Online, 13 May 2025
The highest point of the trail is at 3,008 feet, on a viewless col (the lowest point between peaks) off of Blue Mountain.
—Jessica McKenzie, National Geographic, 16 Nov. 2020
Jen Murphy, Outside Online, 13 May 2025
The highest point of the trail is at 3,008 feet, on a viewless col (the lowest point between peaks) off of Blue Mountain.
—Jessica McKenzie, National Geographic, 16 Nov. 2020
Recent Examples of Synonyms for col
Noun
-
Each must traverse more than a mile-and-a-half of terrain, through a canyon, into shadows and out, over rolls that hurl the body half a football field through the air before thudding it back down again.—
Barry Svrluga,
Washington Post,
8 Feb. 2026
-
But the geographical distance is small compared to the geopolitical canyon the Games hope to bridge.—
Los Angeles Times,
Los Angeles Times,
7 Feb. 2026
Noun
-
The area has deep ravines and dense vegetation.—
Jacqueline Charles,
Miami Herald,
6 Feb. 2026
-
The workers were traveling back to their office after delivering crude oil and other supplies in a farming village in Negros Oriental province when their truck overshot the road and fell into a 100-f00t-deep ravine, police said.—
Arkansas Online,
Arkansas Online,
5 Feb. 2026
Noun
-
Located in Armenia’s Lori Province, the deep gorge stretches from Vanadzor to the Georgian border.—
Marlise Kast-Myers,
San Diego Union-Tribune,
8 Feb. 2026
-
The Tri-Cities area has long been a hub for agriculture, wine and outdoor recreation, an area along the Snake River and Columbia River gorge that native Americans called the wintering grounds because of its temperate climate.—
Erik Matuszewski,
Forbes.com,
28 Jan. 2026
Noun
-
Even the famously dry deserts of Joshua Tree National Park come to life during spring, when rainwater collects in the park’s basins and valleys, creating just the right conditions for flowers to burst through the sandy surface.—
Cu Fleshman,
Travel + Leisure,
8 Feb. 2026
-
Explaining that Chardonnay needs cooler conditions to do well, Carpenter points out that in Napa, that restricts winemakers to the southern part of the valley close to the bay or to very specific spots in the mountains.—
Mike DeSimone,
Robb Report,
8 Feb. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Col.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/col. Accessed 14 Feb. 2026.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
