landslide
Americannoun
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landslides
plural
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the downward falling or sliding of a mass of soil, detritus, or rock on or from a steep slope.
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the mass itself.
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an election in which a particular victorious candidate or party receives an overwhelming mass or majority of votes.
the 1936 landslide for Roosevelt.
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any overwhelming victory.
She won the contest by a landslide.
verb (used without object)
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to come down in or as in a landslide.
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to win an election by an overwhelming majority.
noun
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Also called: landslip.
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the sliding of a large mass of rock material, soil, etc, down the side of a mountain or cliff
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the material dislodged in this way
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an overwhelming electoral victory
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( as modifier )
a landslide win
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The rapid downward sliding of a mass of earth and rock. Landslides usually move over a confined area. Many kinds of events can trigger a landslide, such as the oversteepening of slopes by erosion associated with rivers, glaciers, or ocean waves; heavy snowmelt which saturates soil and rock; or earthquakes that lead to the failure of weak slopes.
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The mass of soil and rock that moves in this way.
Other Word Forms
Noun Inflected Forms
Etymology
Origin of landslide
Explanation
When dirt and rock from a mountainside are sliding down, call it a landslide. Another kind of landslide takes place when one candidate soundly defeats another in an election. With either type of landslide, it's probably safest to stay out of the way! The political meaning of landslide is commonly used, but it's not the word's original definition. A geographical landslide occurs when a huge amount of earth slides down a slope or mountain, usually displacing rocks and vegetation and often houses and buildings as well. Landslides are caused by erosion, heavy rain, and earthquakes, among other events, and they're disruptive enough to give rise to the figurative meaning.
Vocabulary lists containing landslide
Physical Geography - Introductory
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Physical Geography - Middle School
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Physical Geography - High School
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Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
See Examples For:
This was downgraded to a level four by Friday morning, but they continue to warn of landslide and flooding risks.
From BBC ● Aug. 14, 2026
The torrential downpours late Thursday triggered landslide warnings and power outages, with forecasters issuing the highest-level heavy rain warning for the Chiba region for the first time.
From Barron's ● Aug. 14, 2026
He has won every election by a landslide, slayed the dragons, corraled the wild beasts and brought peace, tranquility and a great economy to his kingdom.
From Salon ● Aug. 14, 2026
Most recently, a series of atmospheric river storms in January 2023 triggered a major landslide that initiated a nearly three-year closure of Highway 1.
From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 13, 2026
Or else a natural catastrophe, like a landslide.
From "Cat's Eye" by Margaret Atwood
And as landslides sever access roads and supplies dwindle in several parts of the island, there are growing concerns about how much longer survivors can hold out.
From BBC ● Aug. 17, 2026
"Our focus will be on locating the victims who are buried under the rubble" said Fathur, adding the rescue effort had been complicated by landslides cutting off several roads.
From Barron's ● Aug. 15, 2026
More than 100,000 households have been asked to evacuate on Thursday after the rain triggered landslides and power outages.
From BBC ● Aug. 14, 2026
It could also provide enough electricity for off-grid devices requiring little power, such as sensors to detect pest damage to farmland, overflowing rivers, landslides or even burglar alarms.
From Barron's ● Aug. 5, 2026
His first pictures came as the ash cloud and landslides shot away to the north.
From "Mountain of Fire" by Rebecca E. F. Barone
“Even a moderate earthquake could cause a local-source tsunami from submarine landsliding in Monterey Bay,” public documents say.
From Los Angeles Times ● Jun. 8, 2025
“The weaker alluvial sediments can amplify shaking, and mountains are vulnerable to landsliding, including along the roads that lead to mountain villages.”
From National Geographic ● Sep. 11, 2023
"When the glaciers melted the sediment was no longer supported by the ice margins, so in places it can be susceptible to landsliding."
From BBC ● Aug. 27, 2020
Says Norge President Judson S. Sayre: "The way orders are landsliding, we could be sold out for the year by October 15."
From Time Magazine Archive
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
