retaining wall

American  

noun

1. a wall for holding in place a mass of earth or the like, as at the edge of a terrace or excavation.

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retaining wall British  

noun

1. Also called: revetment.  a wall constructed to hold back earth, loose rock, etc

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Etymology

Origin of retaining wall

First recorded in 1830–40

Example Sentences

There is a bench shaped like a butterfly, a retaining wall with a snake sculpture, and a green metal gate with an arch in the form of a giant toad.

From Los Angeles Times • Oct. 23, 2025

Between the caissons, the seawall and retaining wall, the crew estimated it would cost $2 million to $3 million to install the foundation.

From Los Angeles Times • Oct. 22, 2025

They ran, some barefoot in the mud, up a steep hill beyond the property’s retaining wall.

From Salon • Jul. 17, 2025

In Cradley Heath, Dunedin said the process of connecting street lights had been affected by one of them being "directly in front of the retaining wall that has failed" during the landslip.

From BBC • May 7, 2025

At the top of the hill, they climbed over an old retaining wall and down into an excavated trench.

From "The House of Hades" by Rick Riordan