colonies

Definition of coloniesnext
plural of colony
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

Synonyms & Similar Words

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2
as in communities
a group of people with a common interest living in one place New Hampshire's MacDowell colony was founded as a summer residence for writers and composers

Synonyms & Similar Words

Example Sentences

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 colonies In fact, Britain had twenty-six American colonies, and only half of them rose up. Daniel Immerwahr, New Yorker, 4 May 2026 For his part, the teenage Bezos who dreamed of creating human space colonies has lost none of his passion for the enterprise. Encyclopedia Britannica, 2 May 2026 Located on the South Lawn, the new hive is designed as a miniature White House and houses two bee colonies. Ashley Hume, FOXNews.com, 1 May 2026 The species are highly efficient filter feeders and form dense colonies, according to the CDWF. Julia Jacobo, ABC News, 1 May 2026 An alien invasion has forced humanity off Earth and into space colonies. George Yang, PC Magazine, 1 May 2026 More will relocate to those former French colonies in the coming months to escape hell at home, increasing the competition for jobs. Ulf Laessing, semafor.com, 30 Apr. 2026 Spring is when ants finally begin to move from their underground colonies up to the surface. Charlotte Maracina, USA Today, 30 Apr. 2026 In the 1600s, the Alkmaar market traded millions of pounds of cheese, exporting it throughout Europe and European colonies. Sonja Anderson, Smithsonian Magazine, 23 Dec. 2024
Recent Examples of Synonyms for colonies
Noun
  • Planners razed coconut plantations, sketched marina slips and golf courses, and ordained where tourists would sleep, eat, and jet ski.
    Condé Nast, Condé Nast Traveler, 28 Apr. 2026
  • So too did the titular Joe Turner, the brother of Tennessee governor Pete Turner and a man responsible for taking prisoners from Memphis to Nashville, but who often sold them into a kind of neo-slavery on cotton plantations along the Mississippi River.
    Chris Jones, New York Daily News, 26 Apr. 2026
Noun
  • But there will be political pressure against that from some Black and Hispanic Democrats who want to ensure their communities still command the majority in certain districts.
    Nicholas Riccardi, Chicago Tribune, 30 Apr. 2026
  • The Twin Cities’ response to a sweeping federal immigration crackdown that threw communities and local economies into turmoil offers a glimpse of what resilience and solidarity look like in practice.
    Melissa Jun Rowley, Rolling Stone, 29 Apr. 2026
Noun
  • The flagship, one of the brand’s most grandest European outposts and Tiffany’s largest in Europe, is rare to opens its doors for productions, making the cameo a notable moment.
    Thomas Waller, Footwear News, 1 May 2026
  • In December, opposition forces backing Machar seized military outposts in Jonglei state.
    ABC News, ABC News, 28 Apr. 2026

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Cite this Entry

“Colonies.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/colonies. Accessed 6 May. 2026.

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