variants
also grottos
as in caves
a naturally formed underground chamber with an opening to the surface
at the heart of the shrine is a small rocky grotto into which pilgrims can descend
Synonyms & Similar Words
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Recent Examples of grottoes
Highlights include Xi’an’s Terracotta Warriors, the cliffside grottoes of Dunhuang, and a camel ride across the dunes of the Gobi Desert.
—
Everett Potter, Forbes.com, 26 Jan. 2026
Stay at the Four Seasons Resort Nevis, which partners with Islander Watersports to offer excursions to scuba dive reefs, coral grottoes and shipwrecks just minutes from Pinney’s Beach.
—Adrienne Jordan, USA Today, 6 Nov. 2025
To keep things fresh, producers have ventured into hitherto uncharted baking grottoes.
—Ruby Tandoh, New Yorker, 25 Aug. 2025
Everett Potter, Forbes.com, 26 Jan. 2026
Stay at the Four Seasons Resort Nevis, which partners with Islander Watersports to offer excursions to scuba dive reefs, coral grottoes and shipwrecks just minutes from Pinney’s Beach.
—Adrienne Jordan, USA Today, 6 Nov. 2025
To keep things fresh, producers have ventured into hitherto uncharted baking grottoes.
—Ruby Tandoh, New Yorker, 25 Aug. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for grottoes
Noun
-
From caves that stretch for hundreds of miles to grand estates and pristine Gulf Coast beaches, these destinations offer something for travelers of every age — and many are within driving distance of DFW.—
Lauren Schuster,
Fort Worth Star-Telegram,
1 Apr. 2026
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Those hard things included scaling thousand-foot peaks in Yosemite Valley and spending nights in snow caves under a single sleeping bag shared by the whole family — all before Caldwell had finished his first year of elementary school.—
Namir Khaliq,
Big Think,
31 Mar. 2026
Noun
-
There could be more caverns beyond.—
Nicole Young,
CBS News,
29 Mar. 2026
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Few caverns possess the same cache of fossils as Bender’s Cave, however.—
Andrew Paul,
Popular Science,
26 Mar. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Grottoes.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/grottoes. Accessed 7 Apr. 2026.
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