savanna

noun

sə-ˈva-nə How to pronounce savanna (audio)
variants also savannah
Definition of savannanext
as in prairie
a broad area of level or rolling treeless country lions roaming the savanna

Synonyms & Similar Words

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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 savanna Finally, Iris is a tribute to the native plant and flower of the sub-Saharan savannas that giraffes call home. — Usa Today, USA Today, 16 June 2026 Deforestation over the same period fell 12% in the Cerrado, a savanna in central Brazil that has long been under pressure from the powerful agribusiness sector. — Gabriela Sa Pessoa, Fortune, 12 June 2026 Palos Hills and its diverse ecosystems of grasslands, wetlands, savannas, and woodlands. — Diane Penningroth, Midwest Living, 12 June 2026 The landscape views are breathtaking since the terrain is so hilly and rocky (as opposed to the flat terrain of the savannah) and covered in Lebombo euphorbia, a cactus-like tree with a single trunk and an entire canopy of prickly, upright branches. — Condé Nast, Condé Nast Traveler, 3 June 2026 See All Example Sentences for savanna
Recent Examples of Synonyms for savanna
  1. prairie
  2. steppe
  3. plain
  4. grassland
Noun
  • The near-death experience forces her to confront her sense of isolation out in the prairie, where life is defined by subsistence.
    — Ryan Coleman, Entertainment Weekly, 3 July 2026
  • Founded in 1996, Tallgrass Prairie National Preserve covers around 10,000 acres—a tiny fraction of the 170 million acres of prairie that once covered North America.
    — Josh Laskin, Travel + Leisure, 3 July 2026
Definition of prairie
Noun
  • Uzbek fans have reveled in the chance to showcase their country and culture, staying behind long after the matches ended to pose for photos as steppe warriors, give away the country's ubiquitous embroidered duppy skullcaps, or just joyously dance to drums.
    — Charles Maynes, NPR, 27 June 2026
  • Patagonia is a diverse region in southern Chile and Argentina, with glaciers, mountains and fjords to the west, stretching into steppe and desert toward the east.
    — Brittany Peterson, Fortune, 12 June 2026
Definition of steppe
Noun
  • The daily rotating menu draws from various stops along the route; that night, I was served a zesty octopus, caught in Perth and paired with chimichurri and saltbush, an herb native to arid interior plains like the ones surrounding Kalgoorlie.
    — Justin Meneguzzi, Travel + Leisure, 7 July 2026
  • But when fire conditions spike, AI algorithms will automatically recalculate the region’s electricity flow, diverting power away from fragile forest lines and routing it through safer plains or underground urban corridors.
    — Jasmine Garland, The Conversation, 7 July 2026
Definition of plain
Noun
  • In Oklahoma, increasing temperatures and drought have fueled a rise in grassland megafires since 2016.
    — Bloomberg, Mercury News, 8 July 2026
  • On Georgia's Jekyll Island, 52 acres of grassy terrain will be restored as a wildlife corridor, reconnecting fragmented pine and grassland habitats for shorebirds and snowbirds.
    — CNT Editors, Condé Nast Traveler, 7 July 2026
Definition of grassland

Browse Nearby Words

savaging
savanna
savannas
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Cite this Entry

“Savanna.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/savanna. Accessed 11 Jul. 2026.

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More from Merriam-Webster on savanna

Nglish: Translation of savanna for Spanish Speakers

Britannica.com: Encyclopedia article about savanna

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