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

Seychelles The Seychelles, the smallest country in Africa, is considered a premier fly-fishing destination for its remote outer atolls.

— Betsy Donley, Travel + Leisure, 10 Aug. 2026
Colonial powers reshaped many atolls, removing native forests to plant fast-growing coconut palm plantations.

— NPR, NPR, 3 Aug. 2026

Definition of atoll

Noun

The Houthis recently captured the strategic port city of Mokha and several Red Sea islands, extending their reach toward the Bab el-Mandeb Strait, a maritime route through which about 12% of global trade passes.

— Arkansas Online, Arkansas Online, 30 Sep. 2026
The economic pressure on the island has worsened an already struggling electric grid in Cuba, which has led to several blackouts over the past year.

— Claire Carter, The Washington Examiner, 30 Sep. 2026

Definition of island

Noun

Perhaps those most exposed to ocean changes are small developing island states which are on the frontline of sea level rise, increasingly intense cyclones, storm surges and coral reef die-offs.

— Laura Paddison, CNN Money, 30 Sep. 2026
Like the wavy structures of a coral reef, layered deposits in the Arabia Terra region of Mars showcase the planet's strange beauty and even stranger past.

— Chelsea Gohd, Space.com, 28 Sep. 2026

Definition of coral reef

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caws

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cays

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“Cay.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/cay. Accessed 7 Oct. 2026.

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Synonyms of cay

noun

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