embankment

noun

em·​bank·​ment im-ˈbaŋk-mənt How to pronounce embankment (audio)
1
: a raised structure (as of earth or gravel) used especially to hold back water or to carry a roadway
2
: the action of embanking

Examples of embankment in a Sentence

the embankment is steep, so be careful walking along the ridge
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.
Brianna Daniels, 34, lives in a tent pitched on a dusty embankment above San Jose’s Coyote Creek. Grant Stringer, The Mercury News, 19 Jan. 2025 The county fire department handles a variety of emergencies: hoisting drivers to safety when cars veer off canyon embankments or ferrying the injured and the critically ill to hospitals. Thomas Fuller, New York Times, 17 Jan. 2025 Prosecutors said Stout lit a car on fire near a popular swimming hole and pushed it down an 60-foot embankment. Ishani Desai, Sacramento Bee, 12 Jan. 2025 The vehicle was down an embankment resting against a fence on the outer road, NW Prairie View Road. Kendrick Calfee, Kansas City Star, 11 Jan. 2025 See all Example Sentences for embankment 

Word History

First Known Use

1786, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Time Traveler
The first known use of embankment was in 1786

Dictionary Entries Near embankment

Cite this Entry

“Embankment.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/embankment. Accessed 27 Jan. 2025.

Kids Definition

embankment

noun
em·​bank·​ment im-ˈbaŋk-mənt How to pronounce embankment (audio)
: a raised bank or wall to carry a roadway, prevent floods, or hold back water

More from Merriam-Webster on embankment

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
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