scarp

noun

ˈskärp How to pronounce scarp (audio)
Synonyms of scarpnext
1
: the inner side of a ditch below the parapet of a fortification
2
a
: a line of cliffs produced by faulting or erosion see fault illustration
b
: a low steep slope along a beach caused by wave erosion
scarped
ˈskärpt How to pronounce scarp (audio)
adjective

Synonyms

See All Synonyms & Antonyms in Thesaurus

Examples of scarp in a Sentence

years of violent ocean storms had heavily eroded the beach, creating a scarp along one end of it
Recent Examples on the Web
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.
The rupturing fault created an approximately 20 meters (or 65 feet) high new scarp on the seafloor, which in turns caused the water displacement and a series of six tsunami moving both east towards Sumatra, and west towards Sri Lanka, India and Africa—eventually reaching the Atlantic and Pacific. — David Bressan, Forbes, 26 Dec. 2024 Surrounding that is the environmental protective garment (EPG), the heavy, visible, outer covering of the suit that protects the astronauts from cuts and punctures on a lunar terrain that bristles with jagged rocks and scarps. — Jeffrey Kluger, TIME, 18 Oct. 2024

Word History

Etymology

Italian scarpa

First Known Use

1589, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Time Traveler
The first known use of scarp was in 1589

Rhymes for scarp

See All Rhymes for scarp

Browse Nearby Words

scarp
See all Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Scarp.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/scarp. Accessed 25 Mar. 2025.

Copy Citation

Share

Kids Definition

scarp

noun
ˈskärp How to pronounce scarp (audio)
1
: a line of cliffs produced by faulting or erosion
2
: a low steep slope along a beach caused by wave erosion
scarped adjective
Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!

Popular in Grammar & Usage

See More

How to Use Em Dashes (—), En Dashes (–) , and Hyphens (-)

The Difference Between 'i.e.' and 'e.g.'

Why is '-ed' sometimes pronounced at the end of a word?

More Commonly Misspelled Words

Words You Always Have to Look Up
See More

Popular in Wordplay

See More

Top 10 Sophisticated Insults

Flower Etymologies For Your Spring Garden

More Words with Remarkable Origins

Terroir, Oenophile, & Magnum: Ten Words About Wine

8 Words for Lesser-Known Musical Instruments
See More

Popular Features

See More

How to Use Em Dashes (—), En Dashes (–) , and Hyphens (-)

Top 10 Sophisticated Insults

Flower Etymologies For Your Spring Garden
See More

Games & Quizzes

See All
Play Quordle: Guess all four words in a limited number of tries. Each of your guesses must be a real 5-letter word.
Quordle Can you solve 4 words at once?
Play Blossom: Solve today's spelling word game by finding as many words as you can using just 7 letters. Longer words score more points.
Blossom Word Game Pick the best words!
Play Missing Letter: a crossword with a twist. Each of the 25 puzzle words start with a different letter of the alphabet. Which letter is missing?
Missing Letter A daily crossword with a twist
dog-in-disguise
Rhyme Disguise Quiz Pair up words that look different but sound alike.
See All