1
: one of the vast usually level and treeless tracts in southeastern Europe or Asia
2
: arid land with xerophilous vegetation found usually in regions of extreme temperature range and loess soil
Synonyms
Examples of steppe in a Sentence
nomads have long grazed yaks on the steppes of Mongolia
Recent Examples on the Web
It was concocted by a French baker in the nineteen-twenties, but was named either for its main ingredient, almonds sourced from Crimea, or for the sprinkling of powdered sugar on top that recalls the snowy Siberian steppes.
—
Lauren Collins, The New Yorker, 1 Apr. 2024
Their domestication on these steppes created powerful nomadic empires; prompted the building of the Great Wall by the Chinese, who were anxious about invasion; and carried the armies of Genghis Khan to the walls of Vienna in the 13th century.
—Stanley Stewart, Condé Nast Traveler, 22 Mar. 2024
Most linguists think that those speakers were nomadic herders who lived on the steppes of Ukraine and western Russia about 6,000 years ago.
—Kurt Kleiner, Discover Magazine, 16 Feb. 2024
Thirty thousand years ago, Europe was a land of open steppes with herds of grazing mammoth and other megafauna—and a strikingly uniform human culture.
—Byandrew Curry, science.org, 1 Mar. 2023
Under the leadership of Genghis Khan (also known as Chinggis Khan), the Mongol Empire was expanding on almost every frontier—into China, the Middle East and the Central Asian steppe country.
—Nicholas Morton, Smithsonian Magazine, 28 July 2023
But Cambridge scientists found that increases in brain size specifically were more likely due to a decreased presence of vegetation (such as the Eurasian steppe) in the area.
—Darren Orf, Popular Mechanics, 13 July 2023
The Black Sea gave way to the Caspian and, beyond, to a land of mountain, desert and steppe.
—Aatish Taseer, New York Times, 9 Nov. 2023
Archaeological evidence shows that farming had begun moving out of Anatolia about 3,000 years earlier than the spread of pastoralists out of the steppe.
—Kurt Kleiner, Discover Magazine, 16 Feb. 2024
Lauren Collins, The New Yorker, 1 Apr. 2024
Their domestication on these steppes created powerful nomadic empires; prompted the building of the Great Wall by the Chinese, who were anxious about invasion; and carried the armies of Genghis Khan to the walls of Vienna in the 13th century.
—Stanley Stewart, Condé Nast Traveler, 22 Mar. 2024
Most linguists think that those speakers were nomadic herders who lived on the steppes of Ukraine and western Russia about 6,000 years ago.
—Kurt Kleiner, Discover Magazine, 16 Feb. 2024
Thirty thousand years ago, Europe was a land of open steppes with herds of grazing mammoth and other megafauna—and a strikingly uniform human culture.
—Byandrew Curry, science.org, 1 Mar. 2023
Under the leadership of Genghis Khan (also known as Chinggis Khan), the Mongol Empire was expanding on almost every frontier—into China, the Middle East and the Central Asian steppe country.
—Nicholas Morton, Smithsonian Magazine, 28 July 2023
But Cambridge scientists found that increases in brain size specifically were more likely due to a decreased presence of vegetation (such as the Eurasian steppe) in the area.
—Darren Orf, Popular Mechanics, 13 July 2023
The Black Sea gave way to the Caspian and, beyond, to a land of mountain, desert and steppe.
—Aatish Taseer, New York Times, 9 Nov. 2023
Archaeological evidence shows that farming had begun moving out of Anatolia about 3,000 years earlier than the spread of pastoralists out of the steppe.
—Kurt Kleiner, Discover Magazine, 16 Feb. 2024
These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'steppe.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.
Dictionary Entries Near steppe
Cite this Entry
“Steppe.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/steppe. Accessed 19 Apr. 2024.
Copy CitationKids Definition
steppe
noun
: land in regions of wide temperature range (as in southeastern Europe and parts of Asia) that is dry, usually rather level, and covered with grass
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