CAY Synonyms: 10 Similar and Opposite Words

cay

noun

Definition of cay

as in atoll

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Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.

Recent Examples of cay For the Bahamas, that means looking beyond Nassau’s cruise port crowds to discover what this nation of 700 islands and cays really offers. — AFAR Media, 11 May 2026 Bequia is the gateway to the 32 islands and cays that comprise the Grenadines, so a trip to the island isn't complete with taking to the seas. — Carley Rojas Avila, Travel + Leisure, 22 Apr. 2026 Raja Ampat, Indonesia Raja Ampat is an Indonesian archipelago made up of 1,500 small islands, cays, and shoals off the northwest tip of New Guinea. — Jasmine Ting, Condé Nast Traveler, 20 Mar. 2026 Cayo Falcones is a cay, or small island, off Cuba’s north coast, near Corralillo, a rural town in the Villa Clara province of Cuba. — Michelle Marchante, Miami Herald, 26 Feb. 2026 See All Example Sentences for cay

Recent Examples of Synonyms for cay

Noun

Vietnam, Malaysia, Brunei and Taiwan also claim some of the 250 islands, reefs and atolls in the waterway.

— Ivan Watson, CNN Money, 24 July 2026
To date, more than 180 resorts dot the Maldives’ lush atolls.

— Katie Lockhart, Robb Report, 16 July 2026

Definition of atoll

Noun

Or spending a day bouncing in the waves on a Caribbean island or on Florida’s Gulf Coast.

— Patricia Doherty, Travel + Leisure, 5 Aug. 2026
Designed to feel more like island residential living, all accommodations include a kitchen, in-unit washer and dryer, and private outdoor space set against a palette of deep earth tones and splashes of aqua blue.

— Condé Nast, Condé Nast Traveler, 4 Aug. 2026

Definition of island

Noun

Further east, in Jordan, the world’s northernmost tropical coral reef system, the Aqaba Marine Reserve, was added as a natural site, while the Village of Sidi Bou Saïd became one of the list’s newest cultural sites.

— Evie Carrick, Travel + Leisure, 28 July 2026
But just like on a coral reef or savanna, eliminating predators threw the entire ecosystem out of whack.

— Marlowe Starling, Quanta Magazine, 27 July 2026

Definition of coral reef

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“Cay.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/cay. Accessed 8 Aug. 2026.

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Synonyms of cay

noun

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