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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Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of colonies
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
While gray squirrels are solitary, flying squirrels may live in colonies of four to five squirrels.
—Arricca Elin Sansone, Southern Living, 6 Mar. 2026
Smog-forming emissions can interfere with insect communication by breaking down pheromones, causing ant colonies to exhibit aggression toward their own members and neglect their larvae.
—Tony Briscoe, Los Angeles Times, 5 Mar. 2026
Solitary wasp colonies last only one year and die off each winter.
—Mary Marlowe Leverette, The Spruce, 5 Mar. 2026
Although the concept of the grand jury originated in ancient Greece, it was imported from England to the colonies as part of the English common law.
—Barbara Jaffe, New York Daily News, 4 Mar. 2026
Americans across the colonies who had little else in common agreed that the warrants used by the British would not be tolerated in the new United States of America.
—Amanda Cats-Baril, Twin Cities, 4 Mar. 2026
This was the raging debate stretching across all the colonies a quarter of a millennium ago.
—Michael Golden, The Orlando Sentinel, 27 Feb. 2026
Scientists have long known that vast colonies of bacteria, viruses and other microorganisms—a population collectively called the microbiome—live on and inside the human body.
—K. R. Callaway, Scientific American, 26 Feb. 2026
Arkansas Online, 8 Mar. 2026
While gray squirrels are solitary, flying squirrels may live in colonies of four to five squirrels.
—Arricca Elin Sansone, Southern Living, 6 Mar. 2026
Smog-forming emissions can interfere with insect communication by breaking down pheromones, causing ant colonies to exhibit aggression toward their own members and neglect their larvae.
—Tony Briscoe, Los Angeles Times, 5 Mar. 2026
Solitary wasp colonies last only one year and die off each winter.
—Mary Marlowe Leverette, The Spruce, 5 Mar. 2026
Although the concept of the grand jury originated in ancient Greece, it was imported from England to the colonies as part of the English common law.
—Barbara Jaffe, New York Daily News, 4 Mar. 2026
Americans across the colonies who had little else in common agreed that the warrants used by the British would not be tolerated in the new United States of America.
—Amanda Cats-Baril, Twin Cities, 4 Mar. 2026
This was the raging debate stretching across all the colonies a quarter of a millennium ago.
—Michael Golden, The Orlando Sentinel, 27 Feb. 2026
Scientists have long known that vast colonies of bacteria, viruses and other microorganisms—a population collectively called the microbiome—live on and inside the human body.
—K. R. Callaway, Scientific American, 26 Feb. 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for colonies
Noun
-
The property was then known as Holly Grove, presumably because its original owner, Spencer Mackay, owned multiple sugar plantations in the Caribbean, including one called Cane Grove.—
Emma Banks,
InStyle,
4 Mar. 2026
-
After consulting police databases, investigators verified that the three men had been linked to recent thefts of opium poppy from legal plantations intended for pharmaceutical use and located in the province of Albacete.—
CBS News,
CBS News,
21 Feb. 2026
Noun
-
One activist said the group is aware of the concerns, as well as worries about noise complaints, but counter that with the changing tactics of ICE agents in their communities, residents are also looking for new, flexible, grassroots ways to alert people.—
Los Angeles Times,
Los Angeles Times,
5 Mar. 2026
-
The 1,600-acre base and surrounding communities support more than 20,000 sailors, Marines and Department of War civilians.—
Charles Selle,
Chicago Tribune,
4 Mar. 2026
Noun
-
Future outposts on the moon will need to be as self-sufficient as possible to avoid the high cost of constantly shuttling supplies from Earth.—
Keith Cooper,
Space.com,
5 Mar. 2026
-
Fighting escalated sharply in December, when opposition forces captured a string of government outposts in north central Jonglei.—
ABC News,
ABC News,
3 Mar. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Colonies.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/colonies. Accessed 11 Mar. 2026.
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