as in monuments
a shaped stone laid over or erected near a grave and usually bearing an inscription to identify and preserve the memory of the deceased
the historic cemetery's many tombstones marking the graves of children are telling reminders of the harshness of pioneer life
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Recent Examples of tombstones
Workmen are erecting identical marble tombstones.
—
ABC News, 25 Apr. 2026
In 1975, the museum purchased his work Georgia Gate, a structure of fluidly bent pine staves inspired by photos of Georgia tombstones the artist saw in musicologist Marshall Stearns’s 1970 book The Story of Jazz.
—News Desk, Artforum, 8 Mar. 2026
Last year, the City Council approved an ordinance to offer rewards for information involving theft of city plaques, tombstones, statues, light standards, and copper wire, and theft of metals linked to the Sixth Street Bridge.
—City News Service, Daily News, 18 Feb. 2026
By day the place was filled with different sorts of tombstones, many of them inside ornamental enclosures.
—Literary Hub, 13 Feb. 2026
People used to come to my hotel and leave tombstones and pictures of dead babies.
—Jon Blistein, Rolling Stone, 11 Feb. 2026
Their names are listed in the African American Museum’s exhibit, but not at the cemetery as there are no tombstones left there – except for a few.
—Dallas Morning News, 31 Jan. 2026
Additional excavations could bring answers, Frame communicated, with the team hoping to find alters — tombstones frequently included the units soldiers belonged to.
—Jaden Thompson, Footwear News, 6 Jan. 2026
Concrete beams standing in the dirt like tall tombstones.
—Daniel Estrin, NPR, 7 Nov. 2025
ABC News, 25 Apr. 2026
In 1975, the museum purchased his work Georgia Gate, a structure of fluidly bent pine staves inspired by photos of Georgia tombstones the artist saw in musicologist Marshall Stearns’s 1970 book The Story of Jazz.
—News Desk, Artforum, 8 Mar. 2026
Last year, the City Council approved an ordinance to offer rewards for information involving theft of city plaques, tombstones, statues, light standards, and copper wire, and theft of metals linked to the Sixth Street Bridge.
—City News Service, Daily News, 18 Feb. 2026
By day the place was filled with different sorts of tombstones, many of them inside ornamental enclosures.
—Literary Hub, 13 Feb. 2026
People used to come to my hotel and leave tombstones and pictures of dead babies.
—Jon Blistein, Rolling Stone, 11 Feb. 2026
Their names are listed in the African American Museum’s exhibit, but not at the cemetery as there are no tombstones left there – except for a few.
—Dallas Morning News, 31 Jan. 2026
Additional excavations could bring answers, Frame communicated, with the team hoping to find alters — tombstones frequently included the units soldiers belonged to.
—Jaden Thompson, Footwear News, 6 Jan. 2026
Concrete beams standing in the dirt like tall tombstones.
—Daniel Estrin, NPR, 7 Nov. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for tombstones
Noun
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Then there’s blocking the release of the Epstein files and unilaterally spending hundreds of millions on monuments to himself and billions on his personal war with Iran, while calling the issue of affordability a hoax.—
Sun Sentinel Editorial Board,
Sun Sentinel,
2 May 2026
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Physical spaces have always embodied what societies care about — from those first stone monuments that hunter-gatherers built to demonstrate loyalty to each other and to higher powers.—
Big Think,
Big Think,
1 May 2026
Noun
-
At 99 Sushi, a brand born in Spain with a Michelin star for its Abu Dhabi outpost, nigiri and maki are made to order at the sushi counter, and the à la carte menu features tempura, teriyaki tuna and beef grilled on volcanic stones.—
Condé Nast,
Condé Nast Traveler,
27 Apr. 2026
-
The Grill, an open-air venue, transforms into Silversea’s signature Hot Rocks experience each evening, allowing guests to sear entrées on volcanic lava stones.—
David Morris,
Travel + Leisure,
26 Apr. 2026
Noun
-
On the paths between gravestones are colored footprints, as if left by cartoon characters.—
Todd Martens,
Los Angeles Times,
28 Apr. 2026
-
The tornado ripped off roofs, flattened trees and toppled gravestones at the Belton Cemetery.—
Kansas City Star,
Kansas City Star,
25 Apr. 2026
Noun
-
Six of the headstones bear the names of firefighters the Soviet press has identified as victims of radiation at Chernobyl, and a cemetery official said Tuesday the plot was for those who died as a result of the nuclear accident.—
ABC News,
ABC News,
25 Apr. 2026
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Beneath the headstones and quiet walking paths of a cemetery in Ithaca, New York, something incredible has been happening — completely out of sight.—
Ryan Brennan,
Kansas City Star,
23 Apr. 2026
Noun
-
When activated, those cells begin clearing away existing amyloid plaques, a process that was associated with reduced plaque buildup and improved cognitive function, the study found.—
Kelly McGreal,
FOXNews.com,
3 Feb. 2026
-
And in mice with more advanced conditions, with unstable plaques that are more likely to rupture, treatment reduced the plaque size by 52%.—
New Atlas,
New Atlas,
26 Aug. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Tombstones.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/tombstones. Accessed 4 May. 2026.
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