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
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Maldives
Fan after fan extolled the nearly 1,200-island nation in the Indian Ocean for relaxation and romance, with crystal-clear shallows, teeming reefs, and standard-setting, over-water villas among its many atolls.
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Elaine Glusac, Travel + Leisure, 9 July 2024
Sitting around one evening before dinner, the researchers pondered whether even inexact science could help atoll governments think through their options.
—Raymond Zhong, New York Times, 26 June 2024
Book now at Airbnb Adventurous Little Peter Oasis, a private atoll, is available on Airbnb.
—Laura Giannatempo, Condé Nast Traveler, 16 Nov. 2023
And that bomb was the bikini, named after the famous atoll.
—Manon Garrigues, Vogue, 18 June 2024
See all Example Sentences for atoll 
Elaine Glusac, Travel + Leisure, 9 July 2024
Sitting around one evening before dinner, the researchers pondered whether even inexact science could help atoll governments think through their options.
—Raymond Zhong, New York Times, 26 June 2024
Book now at Airbnb Adventurous Little Peter Oasis, a private atoll, is available on Airbnb.
—Laura Giannatempo, Condé Nast Traveler, 16 Nov. 2023
And that bomb was the bikini, named after the famous atoll.
—Manon Garrigues, Vogue, 18 June 2024
See all Example Sentences for atoll
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.
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“Atoll.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/atoll. Accessed 27 Jul. 2024.
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