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

Then left-fielder Alex Call ran into the retaining wall in foul territory to catch Edgar Quero’s fly ball for the final out of the inning.

From Los Angeles Times ● Jun. 13, 2026

The specimen was first uncovered by a retired chicken farmer, who had sourced rocks from a nearby quarry to build a garden retaining wall.

From Science Daily ● May 6, 2026

Smee thought about planting an oak tree instead but worried that a large tree might be too heavy for the retaining wall along the sidewalk, so he decided against it.

From Los Angeles Times ● Mar. 30, 2026

According to local officials, the Rodalies train collided with a retaining wall which fell onto the track between Gelida and Sant Sadurní on Tuesday evening.

From BBC ● Jan. 20, 2026

Witnesses say the car, driven by Andrew Jackson, 17, also of the Hazelwood team, had been noticeably weaving across the lanes of the expressway just before it hit a retaining wall and burst into flames.

From "Tears of a Tiger" by Sharon M. Draper