catacombs

noun

plural of catacomb
as in tomb
an underground burial chamber explored the catacombs looking for evidence about burial customs of that ancient society

Synonyms & Similar Words

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Example Sentences

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.
Recent Examples of catacombs But passing motorists largely knew nothing of the collection of handmade replica of catacombs, Biblical scenes and Israelite villages beneath it. — Don Stacom, Hartford Courant, 16 Aug. 2026 Avedon, whose work and career had a big influence on Hujar early on, had produced a series of images of the Palermo catacombs in 1959. — Hilton Als, New Yorker, 17 July 2026 The monastery includes a massive network of underground catacombs, which contain the bodies of early Slavic saints, and is one of the most sacred locations in Eastern Orthodox Christianity and a symbol of the country’s cultural and spiritual heritage. — News Desk, Artforum, 15 June 2026 Don't let the name Wind Cave National Park lull you into thinking only of the dark and mysterious catacombs of the cave. — Robert Annis, Midwest Living, 14 May 2026 Legend has it that these relics are the remains of martyrs from the early days of Christianity in Rome that were discovered in the 16th century in unmarked graves in the city's catacombs. — ABC News, 8 May 2026 Players explore the environment using a slew of weapons and magic spells in hidden dungeons, caves, catacombs and more. — Caroline Blair, PEOPLE, 20 Apr. 2026 The Mummy is set up with the grace of Boris Karloff lumping around the catacombs. — Gregory Nussen, Deadline, 16 Apr. 2026 His only book, Portraits in Life and Death (1976), juxtaposed photos of people in his circle and with images of ancient corpses in the Palermo catacombs. — Olivia B. Waxman, Time, 7 Nov. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for catacombs
  1. tomb
  2. vault
  3. crypt
Noun
  • All three will face a slew of charges, including injuring or removing a tomb or monument, disturbing the contents of a grave or tomb and grand theft, the Orange County Sheriff’s Office announced Wednesday.
    — Rylan DiGiacomo-Rapp, The Orlando Sentinel, 20 Aug. 2026
  • In July 2025, utility workers excavating trenches to expand an underground gas network in Peru's capital unearthed two pre-Incan tombs that were over 1,000 years old.
    — CBS News, CBS News, 19 Aug. 2026
Definition of tomb
Noun
  • Amenities include picnic tables, shade shelters and vault toilets at the campground.
    — Jamie Siebrase, Denver Post, 20 Aug. 2026
  • For now, the live album provides the first official document of a night that was evidently too strange — and potentially too cinematic — to leave in the vault.
    — SPIN Staff, SPIN, 19 Aug. 2026
Definition of vault
Noun
  • The Boulet Brothers descend on New York Comic Con to celebrate a decade of horror, filth, and glamour, and open the crypt on the show’s upcoming seventh season.
    — Nick Romano, Entertainment Weekly, 19 Aug. 2026
  • Call it the canary yellow uniforms in the coal mine — except the Red Sox have shot up the elevator shaft, bursting from their subterranean crypt.
    — Tyler Kepner, New York Times, 20 July 2026
Definition of crypt

Browse Nearby Words

catacomb
catacombs
catalog
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Cite this Entry

“Catacombs.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/catacombs. Accessed 23 Aug. 2026.

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More from Merriam-Webster on catacombs

Nglish: Translation of catacombs for Spanish Speakers

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