as in isles
a fairly small area of land completely surrounded by water
the island of Hawaii is the largest in the Hawaiian archipelago
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Recent Examples of islands
John of John, Stuart’s third novel, follows a closeted young art student returning to his childhood home in Scotland’s Hebrides islands, where his unwell grandmother and conservative lay preacher father live uneasily under the same roof.
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Literary Hub, Literary Hub, 6 Jan. 2026
Snorkeling and diving are the biggest draws of Carriacou, the larger of the two islands of the Grenadines that belong to the country of Grenada.
—Carley Rojas Avila, Travel + Leisure, 6 Jan. 2026
As waves and ocean currents carried sand from northern barrier islands over decades, the inlet shifted south, closing the breach between the two islands.
—Jack Prator, The Orlando Sentinel, 5 Jan. 2026
Indonesia is an archipelago with more than 17,000 islands, where boats are a common form of transportation.
—CBS News, 4 Jan. 2026
Aside from the Great Lakes, lake-effect snow is a common occurance on the eastern shore of the Hudson Bay in Canada, and the west coasts of the Japanese islands Honshu and Hokkaido, according to Michigan Sea Grant.
—Kelli Arseneau, jsonline.com, 10 Nov. 2025
Japan has in recent years moved to strengthen its military footing, including by placing anti-ship missiles on its Taiwan-facing Ryukyu islands and announcing it would double defense spending to 2 percent of GDP by 2027.
—Micah McCartney, MSNBC Newsweek, 10 Nov. 2025
One of the worst such heat islands is Liberty City.
—Vann R. Newkirk Ii, The Atlantic, 10 Nov. 2025
Literary Hub, Literary Hub, 6 Jan. 2026
Snorkeling and diving are the biggest draws of Carriacou, the larger of the two islands of the Grenadines that belong to the country of Grenada.
—Carley Rojas Avila, Travel + Leisure, 6 Jan. 2026
As waves and ocean currents carried sand from northern barrier islands over decades, the inlet shifted south, closing the breach between the two islands.
—Jack Prator, The Orlando Sentinel, 5 Jan. 2026
Indonesia is an archipelago with more than 17,000 islands, where boats are a common form of transportation.
—CBS News, 4 Jan. 2026
Aside from the Great Lakes, lake-effect snow is a common occurance on the eastern shore of the Hudson Bay in Canada, and the west coasts of the Japanese islands Honshu and Hokkaido, according to Michigan Sea Grant.
—Kelli Arseneau, jsonline.com, 10 Nov. 2025
Japan has in recent years moved to strengthen its military footing, including by placing anti-ship missiles on its Taiwan-facing Ryukyu islands and announcing it would double defense spending to 2 percent of GDP by 2027.
—Micah McCartney, MSNBC Newsweek, 10 Nov. 2025
One of the worst such heat islands is Liberty City.
—Vann R. Newkirk Ii, The Atlantic, 10 Nov. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for islands
Noun
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Also, Bond … James Bond will be male, as written by creator Ian Fleming, and importantly, will be an actor who hails from the British isles.—
Baz Bamigboye,
Deadline,
24 Sep. 2025
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These alluring Atlantic Ocean isles offer extraordinary sightings of marine life.—
Laura Manske,
Forbes.com,
18 Sep. 2025
Noun
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The radiation effects have been ruinous, according to US government reports cited by the Atomic Heritage Foundation, which said the testing was responsible for 55% of cancers on some of the islands’ northern atolls.—
Brad Lendon,
CNN Money,
4 Nov. 2025
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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.—
Dinah Voyles Pulver,
USA Today,
11 Sep. 2025
Noun
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Sana Biotechnology recently demonstrated the gene-editing approach by transplanting donor islets of beta cells into a patient after genetically modifying the cells to evade the immune system.—
Tara Haelle,
Scientific American,
14 Oct. 2025
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The uninhabited islets became a focal point of tensions between China and Japan after Tokyo nationalized the chain in 2012.—
Micah McCartney,
MSNBC Newsweek,
7 Oct. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Islands.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/islands. Accessed 7 Jan. 2026.
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