as in canyon
a narrow opening between hillsides or mountains that can be used for passage
at one point the steep, ice-encrusted walls of the couloir are no more than 50 feet apart
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Recent Examples of couloir
The group going above the hut to the right will gain a high ridge and continue up the adjacent alpine valley to ski Groove Tube, a beautiful couloir with a wide apron below a prominent peak called La Clytte.
—
Jesse James McTigue, Outside Online, 20 Mar. 2025
For more than eight hours, rescuers worked to reach the hikers and lower them from the couloir.
—Daniella Segura, Sacramento Bee, 27 May 2024
While the walls of the steep, narrowing gully quickly rise to more than 100 feet on either side and the couloir is large enough to be rippled with a few ski lines, a snowball tossed from the top can nearly reach the bottom of the gully and the creek that drains it in winter.
—Christopher Solomon, Outside Online, 22 Mar. 2018
In August, 21-year-old Jadyn Weiss fell 300 feet to her death while descending a steep mountain gully known as the Flying Dutchman couloir.
—Anna Lazarus Caplan, Peoplemag, 2 Oct. 2023
That includes backcountry boarding and skiing with friends, ice climbing, snowshoeing, hiking and climbing couloirs.
—Chris Meehan, Popular Mechanics, 27 Feb. 2023
Rivulets and rocks made the couloir treacherous.
—Los Angeles Times, 28 Feb. 2023
Six members of the group were ascending the gulley, called a couloir, early Sunday afternoon when the lead climber triggered the avalanche, the sheriff’s office said.
—Gene Johnson, Hartford Courant, 23 Feb. 2023
The view opened up over the other side of the col: the steep west face of Mount Helen and its northwest couloir, still packed with snow in early August, and the peaks of the east side of Titcomb Basin.
—Brendan Leonard, Outside Online, 14 Aug. 2020
Jesse James McTigue, Outside Online, 20 Mar. 2025
For more than eight hours, rescuers worked to reach the hikers and lower them from the couloir.
—Daniella Segura, Sacramento Bee, 27 May 2024
While the walls of the steep, narrowing gully quickly rise to more than 100 feet on either side and the couloir is large enough to be rippled with a few ski lines, a snowball tossed from the top can nearly reach the bottom of the gully and the creek that drains it in winter.
—Christopher Solomon, Outside Online, 22 Mar. 2018
In August, 21-year-old Jadyn Weiss fell 300 feet to her death while descending a steep mountain gully known as the Flying Dutchman couloir.
—Anna Lazarus Caplan, Peoplemag, 2 Oct. 2023
That includes backcountry boarding and skiing with friends, ice climbing, snowshoeing, hiking and climbing couloirs.
—Chris Meehan, Popular Mechanics, 27 Feb. 2023
Rivulets and rocks made the couloir treacherous.
—Los Angeles Times, 28 Feb. 2023
Six members of the group were ascending the gulley, called a couloir, early Sunday afternoon when the lead climber triggered the avalanche, the sheriff’s office said.
—Gene Johnson, Hartford Courant, 23 Feb. 2023
The view opened up over the other side of the col: the steep west face of Mount Helen and its northwest couloir, still packed with snow in early August, and the peaks of the east side of Titcomb Basin.
—Brendan Leonard, Outside Online, 14 Aug. 2020
Recent Examples of Synonyms for couloir
Noun
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The indoor-outdoor flow and natural materials will nod to the surroundings, while a central lodge with 360 canyon views will act as a communal gathering space.—
Nicole Trilivas,
Forbes.com,
24 Apr. 2025
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The Gulf would become a shipping channel, with 900-foot tankers traversing its narrow deep-water canyons that great whales and other marine species have evolved over millions of years to depend on for food, communication, mating, shelter and safe passage.—
Joel Reynolds,
San Diego Union-Tribune,
22 Apr. 2025
Noun
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If reaching a safe shelter is not possible, either crouch down in your car and cover your head, or leave your vehicle and seek refuge in a low-lying area like a ditch or ravine.—
STAR-TELEGRAM WEATHER BOT,
Fort Worth Star-Telegram,
20 Apr. 2025
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Four people were killed and another was severely injured on Thursday when their cable car crashed into a ravine in Italy.—
David Matthews,
New York Daily News,
18 Apr. 2025
Noun
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This scenic gorge captivates in winter, when water rushing over the vertical cliff walls freezes into a silent, crystal cathedral of blue-and-white icicles.—
Lisa Kadane,
AFAR Media,
1 Apr. 2025
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Visitors can get a great tour of the park via the 83-mile scenic drive that offers stunning views of the river and its gorge around every twist and turn of the three-hour journey.—
Lisa Cericola,
Southern Living,
29 Mar. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Couloir.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/couloir. Accessed 2 May. 2025.
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