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

See Examples For:

retaining wall

Kosin and his family lifted their belongings once they saw the water level was higher than the canal retaining wall, but their ground floor was still left soaked.

From Barron's ● Sep. 27, 2026

The extensively engineered retaining wall and thoughtful landscaping transformed the property into a series of expansive outdoor living spaces designed for entertaining, decompressing, and fully embracing the indoor-outdoor lifestyle.”

From MarketWatch ● Sep. 8, 2026

A fossil dating back 240 million years has finally been formally identified after spending decades hidden inside a retaining wall.

From Science Daily ● May 6, 2026

The bridge was closed on 20 September after extensive cracking was discovered in a retaining wall creating "an unacceptable risk to public safety", the DfI said.

From BBC ● Oct. 27, 2025

My fingers bled from scraping out the rocks and it seemed that a square yard of ground produced a wheelbarrow full of rocks which I had to push down to the retaining wall.

From "Bless Me, Ultima" by Rudolfo Anaya