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
The main islands, including Hawaii, Maui, Lanai, Oahu and Kauai, are among a chain of islands, atolls, reefs and volcanoes beneath the sea that stretches 1,700 miles in the Pacific Ocean.
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Dinah Voyles Pulver, USA Today, 11 Sep. 2025
Complete with the largest coral atoll in Mexico, this is a supreme destination for scuba diving and snorkeling.
—Carley Rojas Avila, Travel + Leisure, 9 Sep. 2025
That includes lifeguard Renan Ulloa at the Parks department, which is ending lifeguard service at natural swimming holes known as atolls.
—Douglas Hanks, Miami Herald, 5 Sep. 2025
Yet, in recent decades, a tourism industry has blossomed here thanks to the atoll’s wild residents.
—Joe Sills, Forbes.com, 2 Sep. 2025
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Dinah Voyles Pulver, USA Today, 11 Sep. 2025
Complete with the largest coral atoll in Mexico, this is a supreme destination for scuba diving and snorkeling.
—Carley Rojas Avila, Travel + Leisure, 9 Sep. 2025
That includes lifeguard Renan Ulloa at the Parks department, which is ending lifeguard service at natural swimming holes known as atolls.
—Douglas Hanks, Miami Herald, 5 Sep. 2025
Yet, in recent decades, a tourism industry has blossomed here thanks to the atoll’s wild residents.
—Joe Sills, Forbes.com, 2 Sep. 2025
See All Example Sentences for atoll
Cite this Entry
“Atoll.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/atoll. Accessed 17 Sep. 2025.
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