as in islands
a ring-shaped land mass surrounded by water and made of coral
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Recent Examples of atolls
Although the volcanic archipelago includes 137 islands, most of the Hawaiian islands are tiny uninhabited atolls, reefs or islets.
—
Brianna Randall, Forbes.com, 30 May 2026
This island is farther flung than most, but the 35-minute flight by seaplane from Mal gives a spectacular view of the atolls at 5000 feet.
—Condé Nast, Condé Nast Traveler, 28 Apr. 2026
The Republic of the Marshall Islands, or RMI, is situated roughly halfway between Hawaii and Australia and comprises 29 atolls, five islands, and 1,151 inlets, spread across 750,000 square miles of the Pacific Ocean.
—Cheri Lucas Rowlands, Longreads, 21 Apr. 2026
Pritzker Prize–winning architect Tadao Ando designed the Naoshima New Museum of Art, which opened last May, overlooking the remote atolls of the Seto Inland Sea.
—Kathryn O’Shea-Evans, Robb Report, 7 Mar. 2026
The atolls and rocks that made up the Chagos Archipelago offered more meager economic possibilities.
—David Frum, The Atlantic, 2 Mar. 2026
The last major test While the Marshall Islands hasn’t seen a nuclear test since 1958 – the current US test site is underground in Nevada – the last test in the Pacific was in 1996, by France, one of 193 tests Paris conducted at South Pacific atolls over 30 years.
—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
Brianna Randall, Forbes.com, 30 May 2026
This island is farther flung than most, but the 35-minute flight by seaplane from Mal gives a spectacular view of the atolls at 5000 feet.
—Condé Nast, Condé Nast Traveler, 28 Apr. 2026
The Republic of the Marshall Islands, or RMI, is situated roughly halfway between Hawaii and Australia and comprises 29 atolls, five islands, and 1,151 inlets, spread across 750,000 square miles of the Pacific Ocean.
—Cheri Lucas Rowlands, Longreads, 21 Apr. 2026
Pritzker Prize–winning architect Tadao Ando designed the Naoshima New Museum of Art, which opened last May, overlooking the remote atolls of the Seto Inland Sea.
—Kathryn O’Shea-Evans, Robb Report, 7 Mar. 2026
The atolls and rocks that made up the Chagos Archipelago offered more meager economic possibilities.
—David Frum, The Atlantic, 2 Mar. 2026
The last major test While the Marshall Islands hasn’t seen a nuclear test since 1958 – the current US test site is underground in Nevada – the last test in the Pacific was in 1996, by France, one of 193 tests Paris conducted at South Pacific atolls over 30 years.
—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
Recent Examples of Synonyms for atolls
Noun
-
Giglio, one of the seven Tuscan islands, has always carried that tone in its history.—
Valentina Di Donato,
Forbes.com,
6 June 2026
-
Leo will spend two days in the Canary Islands, which are closer to Africa than the Spanish peninsula, visiting two of the seven islands and meeting with migrants and the humanitarian organizations that provide care for them.—
ABC News,
ABC News,
6 June 2026
Noun
-
Although the volcanic archipelago includes 137 islands, most of the Hawaiian islands are tiny uninhabited atolls, reefs or islets.—
Brianna Randall,
Forbes.com,
30 May 2026
-
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,
17 May 2026
Cite this Entry
“Atolls.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/atolls. Accessed 10 Jun. 2026.
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