canyon

noun

can·​yon ˈkan-yən 

variants or less commonly cañon

1

: a deep narrow valley with steep sides and often with a stream flowing through it

2

: something resembling a canyon

the city's concrete canyons

Synonyms

• col
• couloir
• defile
• flume
• gap
• gill [British]
• gorge
• gulch
• gulf
• kloof [South African]
• linn [chiefly Scottish]
• notch
• pass
• ravine
• saddle

Examples of canyon in a Sentence

as the scouts made their way through the canyon, they marveled at the sheer walls of rock on both sides

Recent Examples on the Web

Tucked into a box canyon in the San Juan Mountains, Telluride, Colorado, is best known for its epic skiing and annual film festival. —Emma Reynolds, Robb Report, 17 Jan. 2025

But with gusts clocked at 59 mph, the fire quickly started pushing a shower of sparks across the canyon. —Terry Castleman, Los Angeles Times, 17 Jan. 2025

Accustomed to flying in the gullies and canyons of Los Angeles County, the pilots understood what this meant. —Thomas Fuller, New York Times, 17 Jan. 2025

The Eaton Fire ignited hours after the Palisades Fire near a canyon in the sprawling national forest lands north of downtown Los Angeles. —Tim Stelloh, NBC News, 16 Jan. 2025

Word History

Etymology

American Spanish cañón, probably alteration of obsolete Spanish callón, augmentative of calle street, from Latin callis footpath

First Known Use

1834, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Kids Definition

canyon

noun

can·​yon

variants also cañon

ˈkan-yən

: a deep narrow valley with steep sides and often with a stream flowing through it