as in islands
a ring-shaped land mass surrounded by water and made of coral
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Recent Examples of atolls
Known as the Xisha Islands in China and Hoang Sa Islands in Vietnam, the chain of reefs and atolls lies about 300 nautical miles south of the Chinese mainland and has long been a regional flashpoint.
—
Bojan Stojkovski, Interesting Engineering, 31 Aug. 2025
Some Pacific atolls sit just 1 to 2 meters above sea level and are slowly disappearing as waters rise.
—Lauren Gifford, Space.com, 25 Aug. 2025
These include Pacific atolls vaporized in mile-high explosions.
—Thomas Bass
author, Newsweek, 19 Dec. 2024
Located off the coast of India, the Maldives has a population of about 525,000 across more than 1,000 islands and atolls.
—Lilit Marcus, CNN, 26 Nov. 2024
Tuvalu is located in the South Pacific, and is composed of several atolls and reef islands.
—Ashlyn Messier, Fox News, 1 Oct. 2024
Bojan Stojkovski, Interesting Engineering, 31 Aug. 2025
Some Pacific atolls sit just 1 to 2 meters above sea level and are slowly disappearing as waters rise.
—Lauren Gifford, Space.com, 25 Aug. 2025
These include Pacific atolls vaporized in mile-high explosions.
—Thomas Bass
author, Newsweek, 19 Dec. 2024
Located off the coast of India, the Maldives has a population of about 525,000 across more than 1,000 islands and atolls.
—Lilit Marcus, CNN, 26 Nov. 2024
Tuvalu is located in the South Pacific, and is composed of several atolls and reef islands.
—Ashlyn Messier, Fox News, 1 Oct. 2024
Recent Examples of Synonyms for atolls
Noun
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Families love Split for its walkable Old Town, beaches, and ferry access to islands like Hvar and Korčula, where kids can swim while grandparents explore medieval towns.—
Travel + Leisure Editors,
Travel + Leisure,
9 Sep. 2025
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The waterway separates two of Japan's main islands—Honshu to the south and Hokkaido to the north.—
Ryan Chan,
MSNBC Newsweek,
8 Sep. 2025
Noun
-
The channel forked into a series of smaller canals, each branching farther or looping around islets or petering out into dead ends.—
Nathaniel Rich,
Harpers Magazine,
20 Aug. 2025
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Rent one from Sea Panarea to discover hidden coves, sea caves, and the nearby islets of Basiluzzo and Lisca before settling in for sunset Negronis at the see-and-be-seen Bar del Porto.—
Nicky Swallow,
Travel + Leisure,
19 Aug. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Atolls.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/atolls. Accessed 10 Sep. 2025.
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