landslides

Mountains suddenly moving

Landslides are masses of rock, earth, or debris that slide down a slope, often triggered by heavy rain, earthquakes, or erosion.

The word extends to overwhelming victories, especially in elections: She won by a landslide.

Both senses share the image of something massive and unstoppable sweeping everything before it.

triggers

earthquake

Seismic ground movement

flooding · monsoon · hurricane · snowmelt · overgrazing · excavation · mining · construction · vibration · saturation

geology

debris

Scattered broken fragments

terrain · hillside · mountainside · bedrock · fault · sediment · strata · clay · shale · groundwater

movement

slump

Extended period of decline

  • flowUnbroken forward movement
  • creepStealthy, slow movement
  • avalancheRapid mountain snow collapse

collapse · cascade · tumble · plunge · shift · slip · surge · rotational · translational · rockslide

electoral

victory

Defeating an opponent

blowout · rout · dominance · margin · overwhelming · decisive · trouncing · triumph · drubbing · shellacking

disaster

evacuation

Removal from danger

rescue · relief · aftermath · emergency · survivors · recovery · humanitarian · shelter · crisis · burial

Categories
Opposites
geological stability

landslidesbedrock

Solid stone underground

stability · solid ground · terra firma · firm ground

electoral margin

landslidessqueakers

Barely-won competitions

nail-biters · photo finishes · contested elections · dead heats · recounts

direction of mass movement

landslidesuplift

Raise emotionally or physically

mountain building · orogenesis · volcanic eruptions

Phrases
Family

landslide, landsliding

Familiarity
Top 20,000
Profile
Known to kids · Used worldwide · Timeless · Concrete · Negative · Everyday, not technical · Rated G