as in islands
a ring-shaped land mass surrounded by water and made of coral
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Recent Examples of atolls
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
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
With roughly 180 resorts spread across its atolls, there are dozens of worthy five-star escapes to choose from.
—Katie Lockhart, Travel + Leisure, 7 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
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
Brad Lendon, CNN Money, 4 Nov. 2025
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
With roughly 180 resorts spread across its atolls, there are dozens of worthy five-star escapes to choose from.
—Katie Lockhart, Travel + Leisure, 7 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
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
Recent Examples of Synonyms for atolls
Noun
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Later, in the 1970s, the finches on these islands were observed experiencing rapid evolution brought about by drought.—
Taylor Nicioli,
CNN Money,
12 Jan. 2026
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Ferries may be the only link between islands, long-distance buses remain the backbone of inter-city travel, and weather disruptions can change your plans with little notice.—
Maria Williams,
USA Today,
11 Jan. 2026
Noun
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The ships will guide you past massive glaciers, stunning islets, and fjords (keep your eyes peeled for whales, seabirds, and porpoises along the way) to a remote research station called Ny-Alesund, which just a few thousand folks get to visit each year.—
Nicole Hoey,
Robb Report,
21 Jan. 2026
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The island is one of the Cayos Cochinos, photogenic coral islets that form part of the Mesoamerican Barrier Reef System.—
Qin Xie,
Travel + Leisure,
29 Nov. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Atolls.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/atolls. Accessed 23 Jan. 2026.
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