Illustration of atoll
: a coral island consisting of a reef surrounding a lagoon
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If you are lucky enough to sail south and west of Sri Lanka in the Indian Ocean, you'll find the Maldives, a group of about 1,200 coral islands and sandbanks that form the Republic of Maldives. Many islands in that independent nation demonstrate the archetypal atoll, and geographers often use them to point out the characteristic features of such coral islands. Given how prevalent atolls are there, it isn't surprising that atoll comes from the name for that kind of island in Divehi, the official language of the Maldives.
Examples of atoll in a Sentence
Recent Examples on the Web
What happens among the tiny islands, reefs and atolls of this corner of the globe could have profound international repercussions and become a major global flashpoint.
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Rebecca Wright, CNN, 6 Mar. 2024
Residents of the Marshall Islands have already felt the cost of living with radioactive waste: Several atolls remain uninhabitable, and radiation has resulted in cancer and other negative health consequences for Marshallese, as well as enormous disturbances to traditional food-gathering practices.
—Tara Wu, Smithsonian Magazine, 6 Mar. 2024
My scientist friend Frances had to hand over her pear; bananas, which can carry a contagious plant ailment, will not be found in the atoll’s fruit baskets.
—Patt Morrison, Los Angeles Times, 20 Mar. 2024
As a simple, robust mobile platform, an SLV is an ideal means to help the Philippines reinforce their presence at contested atolls in the South China Sea or elsewhere.
—Craig Hooper, Forbes, 28 Feb. 2024
It could be set off by a sudden Chinese move to militarize Scarborough Shoal, another atoll in the Philippines’ exclusive economic zone, which China seized from the Philippines in 2012.
—Michael J. Mazarr, Foreign Affairs, 9 Feb. 2024
Some 30 years in the making, and found in Haa Dhaalu, the Maldives’ most remote atoll, the new exclusive resort, which opened last month, has a focus on ‘rare experiences’ and could now be the most ultra-luxe destination to book in the region.
—Angelina Villa-Clarke, Forbes, 20 Feb. 2024
Details: Features an atoll beach with amenities including a marina, snack bar, barbecue grills, rental picnic shelter, a playground and lifeguards.
—Connie Ogle, Miami Herald, 30 Jan. 2024
Tuvalu consists of nine coral atolls in the South Pacific Ocean.
—Keiran Smith, The Christian Science Monitor, 25 Jan. 2024
Rebecca Wright, CNN, 6 Mar. 2024
Residents of the Marshall Islands have already felt the cost of living with radioactive waste: Several atolls remain uninhabitable, and radiation has resulted in cancer and other negative health consequences for Marshallese, as well as enormous disturbances to traditional food-gathering practices.
—Tara Wu, Smithsonian Magazine, 6 Mar. 2024
My scientist friend Frances had to hand over her pear; bananas, which can carry a contagious plant ailment, will not be found in the atoll’s fruit baskets.
—Patt Morrison, Los Angeles Times, 20 Mar. 2024
As a simple, robust mobile platform, an SLV is an ideal means to help the Philippines reinforce their presence at contested atolls in the South China Sea or elsewhere.
—Craig Hooper, Forbes, 28 Feb. 2024
It could be set off by a sudden Chinese move to militarize Scarborough Shoal, another atoll in the Philippines’ exclusive economic zone, which China seized from the Philippines in 2012.
—Michael J. Mazarr, Foreign Affairs, 9 Feb. 2024
Some 30 years in the making, and found in Haa Dhaalu, the Maldives’ most remote atoll, the new exclusive resort, which opened last month, has a focus on ‘rare experiences’ and could now be the most ultra-luxe destination to book in the region.
—Angelina Villa-Clarke, Forbes, 20 Feb. 2024
Details: Features an atoll beach with amenities including a marina, snack bar, barbecue grills, rental picnic shelter, a playground and lifeguards.
—Connie Ogle, Miami Herald, 30 Jan. 2024
Tuvalu consists of nine coral atolls in the South Pacific Ocean.
—Keiran Smith, The Christian Science Monitor, 25 Jan. 2024
These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'atoll.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.
Dictionary Entries Near atoll
Cite this Entry
“Atoll.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/atoll. Accessed 23 Apr. 2024.
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