gravestone

noun

grave·​stone ˈgrāv-ˌstōn How to pronounce gravestone (audio)
Synonyms of gravestonenext
: a burial monument

Synonyms of gravestone

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Examples of gravestone in a Sentence

we love to tour old cemeteries and read the hauntingly poetic inscriptions on the gravestones
Recent Examples on the Web
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Almost like gravestones etched with the years of a life, they were marked with the diameter of the trees that had once stood there. — Andrew Graham, Sacbee.com, 12 Aug. 2026 Artists and photographers regularly capture it, and Heicher says there are even gravestones in local cemeteries with images of the bridge etched into them. — Spencer Wilson, CBS News, 10 Aug. 2026 His name was carved on the same gravestone as Leslie’s, on a shady plot near the sea, but his ashes were scattered somewhere far from her bones. — Brenna Ehrlich, Rolling Stone, 31 July 2026 The search was hampered by the fact that Horan’s gravestone, like many at Blake Street, had eroded to the point that it could no longer be identified. — John Moritz, Hartford Courant, 20 July 2026 See All Example Sentences for gravestone

Word History

First Known Use

14th century, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of gravestone was in the 14th century

Rhymes for gravestone

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Browse Nearby Words

graveside
gravestone
gravette
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Cite this Entry

“Gravestone.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/gravestone. Accessed 20 Aug. 2026.

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Kids Definition

gravestone

noun
grave·​stone ˈgrāv-ˌstōn How to pronounce gravestone (audio)
: a burial monument

More from Merriam-Webster on gravestone

Nglish: Translation of gravestone for Spanish Speakers

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