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
Scientists had previously proposed plague as a driver of the population decline, which opened the way for migrants from the steppe, but this is the first direct evidence of an outbreak.
—
Byscience News Staff, science.org, 11 July 2024
Another discovery of a cauldron in the western steppe around the Caucasus region between the Caspian and Black seas revealed the remains of muscle proteins and milk, likely from an ancient stew.
—Joshua Rapp Learn, Discover Magazine, 25 June 2024
The juxtaposition of the two worlds, one of which had been grazing horses in this area of the steppe for millennia, the other of which had, in a moment of daring and gamesmanship, started launching people into the cosmos with rockets meant to annihilate humanity, filled McConnell with wonder.
—Keith Gessen, The New Yorker, 4 Sep. 2024
For now, all lines of evidence seem to converge on the idea that horse domestication probably did take place in the Black Sea steppes, but much later than the Kurgan hypothesis requires.
—William Taylor, The Conversation, 3 Sep. 2024
See all Example Sentences for steppe 
Byscience News Staff, science.org, 11 July 2024
Another discovery of a cauldron in the western steppe around the Caucasus region between the Caspian and Black seas revealed the remains of muscle proteins and milk, likely from an ancient stew.
—Joshua Rapp Learn, Discover Magazine, 25 June 2024
The juxtaposition of the two worlds, one of which had been grazing horses in this area of the steppe for millennia, the other of which had, in a moment of daring and gamesmanship, started launching people into the cosmos with rockets meant to annihilate humanity, filled McConnell with wonder.
—Keith Gessen, The New Yorker, 4 Sep. 2024
For now, all lines of evidence seem to converge on the idea that horse domestication probably did take place in the Black Sea steppes, but much later than the Kurgan hypothesis requires.
—William Taylor, The Conversation, 3 Sep. 2024
See all Example Sentences for steppe
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.
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Cite this Entry
“Steppe.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/steppe. Accessed 1 Oct. 2024.
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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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