as in piles
a small quantity of stones heaped together that usually marks a place
A cairn of loose stones marked the site.
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Recent Examples of cairns
Above the glacial lake Ullswater, prehistoric cairns and burial mounds dot the high moorland, including the Cockpit Stone Circle, which spans 90 feet.
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Andrea Bussell, Travel + Leisure, 27 Dec. 2025
Found around the perimeter ring, there are six additional cairns.
—Mike Bezemek, Outside, 29 Oct. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for cairns
Noun
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Ebern Designs Slim Laundry Hamper With Lid This sleek hamper looks far better than a traditional plastic basket, and the lid keeps piles of clothes out of sight when guests are over.—
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Instead of dumping piles alongside traffic areas, distribute it evenly or spread it over garden beds where it can be more easily absorbed.—
Noun
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Coral Pink Sand Dunes State Park Admire the sunset on the mounds of red sand in Coral Pink Sand Dunes State Park.—
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New Yorkers had a similar mindset, taking to long, empty avenues with skiis to enjoy miniature urban slopes, whizzing past cars buried in the icy mounds.—
Noun
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Unlike Tesla, however, Huang said that Nvidia develops full AV stacks for other auto companies rather than manufacturing the self-driving cars themselves.—
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Boesch, who had on a white shirt and jeans, pulled out a ziplock bag stuffed with thick stacks of intact cards.—
Noun
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Safety and health worries have long surrounded landfills in many cities and towns in the Philippines, especially ones near poor communities whose residents scavenge for junk and leftover food in the garbage heaps, the AP points out.—
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Things have been even wilder — and more portal-y — over at Georgia Tech, where heaps of O-linemen and receivers have joined the Yellow Jackets’ would-be quarterback of the future in announcing intentions to jump ship.—
Cite this Entry
“Cairns.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/cairns. Accessed 20 Jan. 2026.
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