1
as in plantations
a settlement in a new country or region
the early history of New York City when it was a Dutch colony
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Recent Examples of colonies
Not only slaves, but Haitians fought on the side of the colonies as part of a French contingent during the Revolutionary War!
—
Voice Of The People, New York Daily News, 15 Mar. 2026
England and the colonies were still using an old calendar with roots dating back to Babylonian times.
—Mike Lynch, Twin Cities, 15 Mar. 2026
The treaty also supported the idea of the Delaware acting as the leader of a coalition of other Native nations that would join the colonies as a state with representation in Congress when the war ended.
—Literary Hub, 13 Mar. 2026
The retrospective exhibit places the 26,000-acre, undeveloped Georgia barrier island near Savannah among the most important artist colonies of the 20th century.
—Amy Paige Condon, AJC.com, 12 Mar. 2026
At some colonies in Argentina, 97% of pups died, while on South Georgia Island, researchers reported a 47% decline in breeding females between 2022 and 2024.
—Susanne Rust
follow, Los Angeles Times, 12 Mar. 2026
In your intestines, colonies of microorganisms (bacteria, fungi, viruses, and others) make up the gut microbiome.
—Mark Gurarie, Verywell Health, 12 Mar. 2026
Some coral colonies have formed over centuries and wouldn't be able to bounce back quickly if they were wiped out, Walker said.
—Arkansas Online, 8 Mar. 2026
Drywood termites don’t make colonies underground but live in structural timbers or even furniture and handrails inside a home.
—Arricca Elin Sansone, Southern Living, 6 Mar. 2026
Voice Of The People, New York Daily News, 15 Mar. 2026
England and the colonies were still using an old calendar with roots dating back to Babylonian times.
—Mike Lynch, Twin Cities, 15 Mar. 2026
The treaty also supported the idea of the Delaware acting as the leader of a coalition of other Native nations that would join the colonies as a state with representation in Congress when the war ended.
—Literary Hub, 13 Mar. 2026
The retrospective exhibit places the 26,000-acre, undeveloped Georgia barrier island near Savannah among the most important artist colonies of the 20th century.
—Amy Paige Condon, AJC.com, 12 Mar. 2026
At some colonies in Argentina, 97% of pups died, while on South Georgia Island, researchers reported a 47% decline in breeding females between 2022 and 2024.
—Susanne Rust
follow, Los Angeles Times, 12 Mar. 2026
In your intestines, colonies of microorganisms (bacteria, fungi, viruses, and others) make up the gut microbiome.
—Mark Gurarie, Verywell Health, 12 Mar. 2026
Some coral colonies have formed over centuries and wouldn't be able to bounce back quickly if they were wiped out, Walker said.
—Arkansas Online, 8 Mar. 2026
Drywood termites don’t make colonies underground but live in structural timbers or even furniture and handrails inside a home.
—Arricca Elin Sansone, Southern Living, 6 Mar. 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for colonies
Noun
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Hundreds of thousands of acres, including many former rice plantations, have been conserved in the area between Beaufort and Charleston, and marshes there stretch out like coastal prairies.—
Thad Moore,
AJC.com,
10 Mar. 2026
-
Enslaved women passed messages between plantations.—
Ed Gaskin,
Boston Herald,
8 Mar. 2026
Noun
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The San Diego Regional Chamber of Commerce released a comprehensive binational report Wednesday outlining a five-pillar strategy to address the Tijuana River contamination crisis, a problem that has plagued South San Diego County communities for decades.—
Walker Armstrong,
San Diego Union-Tribune,
12 Mar. 2026
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The fund — which seeks to foster economic development in traditionally underserved communities — approves grants on a competitive basis and are all but assured to be backed by the State Bond Commission, whose approval also is required.—
Kenneth R. Gosselin,
Hartford Courant,
11 Mar. 2026
Noun
-
Then, from the early nineties through 2022 the Israeli government largely supported the establishment of a hundred and eighty-seven unauthorized outposts.—
Isaac Chotiner,
New Yorker,
14 Mar. 2026
-
The Sacramento International Airport launched outposts of three local restaurants and a first-of-its-kind cafe and market concept Thursday as part of its major dining overhaul project.—
Camila Pedrosa,
Sacbee.com,
13 Mar. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Colonies.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/colonies. Accessed 19 Mar. 2026.
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