as in republics
a state that has its own government and consists of a city and the area around it
the city-states of ancient Greece
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Recent Examples of city-states
Consequently, Persia abandoned its westward expansion, while various Greek city-states formed a tenuous alliance that lasted nearly 50 years.
—
Debbie Felton, The Conversation, 8 Aug. 2025
Debbie Felton, The Conversation, 8 Aug. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for city-states
Noun
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And which Northern kingdoms does Queen Meve happen to rule over?—
Scott Meslow,
Vulture,
31 Oct. 2025
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Because monkeys bang on typewriters and kingdoms fall.—
Megan Feringa,
New York Times,
5 Oct. 2025
Noun
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Researchers cited incomplete data on countries in conflict and low-income nations as a limitation of the study.—
Lindsey Leake,
CNN Money,
30 Oct. 2025
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The president has repeatedly referred to America’s trade imbalances with other nations as a national emergency worthy of such intervention.—
Kate Nishimura,
Sourcing Journal,
30 Oct. 2025
Noun
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In the 1950s, this was not the US but the dying empires of Britain and France, which had dominated the Middle East for the first half of the century.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
3 Nov. 2025
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The most gifted preachers transformed that aura into spiritual empires, drawing thousands to megachurches, filling television airwaves and sometimes amassing personal fortunes.—
Mike Hixenbaugh,
NBC news,
30 Oct. 2025
Noun
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Most projects aimed to support countries in Southeast Asia, South Asia, and Latin America.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
5 Nov. 2025
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The weakness of the Paris Agreement is glaringly obvious these days, as many countries pull back from their previous climate commitments under pressure from angry electorates or a worsening economy.—
Sophie Yeo,
The Dial,
4 Nov. 2025
Cite this Entry
“City-states.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/city-states. Accessed 6 Nov. 2025.
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