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
Relevance
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
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, 19 Oct. 2025
This is also part of the agency’s long-term planning for permanent lunar habitats and, eventually, colonies on Mars.
—Chris Young, Interesting Engineering, 13 Oct. 2025
In addition to the military importance of these towns, royal officials hoped to convince colonists that only their side could restore law and order and bring economic prosperity back to the colonies.
—Time, 9 Oct. 2025
At the time, colonies formed their own militias made up of citizen-soldiers.
—Juliana Kim, NPR, 9 Oct. 2025
When rumors flew in the colonies that Franklin had personally designed the Stamp Act, William refuted the charges.
—Stacy Schiff, The Atlantic, 8 Oct. 2025
Ostranauts is set in the same universe as the studio's previous title, NEO Scavenger, and draws on that game's rich lore to populate its world with factions, colonies, and corporations.
—Alan Bradley, Space.com, 7 Oct. 2025
At the beginning, the cells would only replace about one in every 100,000 cells each day, a significantly slower pace than average bacterial colonies that can completely replicate in lab settings in the same period, according to the release.
—Irene Wright, Miami Herald, 7 Oct. 2025
By the mid-nineteen-sixties, Africa had been transformed from a patchwork of colonies to one of mostly independent countries, each devoted, at least in theory, to self-determination.
—Kelefa Sanneh, New Yorker, 6 Oct. 2025
Arricca Elin Sansone, Southern Living, 19 Oct. 2025
This is also part of the agency’s long-term planning for permanent lunar habitats and, eventually, colonies on Mars.
—Chris Young, Interesting Engineering, 13 Oct. 2025
In addition to the military importance of these towns, royal officials hoped to convince colonists that only their side could restore law and order and bring economic prosperity back to the colonies.
—Time, 9 Oct. 2025
At the time, colonies formed their own militias made up of citizen-soldiers.
—Juliana Kim, NPR, 9 Oct. 2025
When rumors flew in the colonies that Franklin had personally designed the Stamp Act, William refuted the charges.
—Stacy Schiff, The Atlantic, 8 Oct. 2025
Ostranauts is set in the same universe as the studio's previous title, NEO Scavenger, and draws on that game's rich lore to populate its world with factions, colonies, and corporations.
—Alan Bradley, Space.com, 7 Oct. 2025
At the beginning, the cells would only replace about one in every 100,000 cells each day, a significantly slower pace than average bacterial colonies that can completely replicate in lab settings in the same period, according to the release.
—Irene Wright, Miami Herald, 7 Oct. 2025
By the mid-nineteen-sixties, Africa had been transformed from a patchwork of colonies to one of mostly independent countries, each devoted, at least in theory, to self-determination.
—Kelefa Sanneh, New Yorker, 6 Oct. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for colonies
Noun
-
The armed group controls tens of thousands of acres of coca plantations and has gained significant political leverage as President Gustavo Petro’s Administration scrambles to secure agreements with armed groups critical to advancing Colombia’s broader peace talks and anti-narcotics efforts.—
Barry Levitt,
Time,
7 Oct. 2025
-
They are typically found in more arid scrublands or coconut plantations, the zoo said, and feast on grass, flowers, berries and fruit.—
Irene Wright,
Miami Herald,
7 Oct. 2025
Noun
-
There’s been a misguided assertion that what’s happening with ICE is only a Latino issue, but ICE’s bombardment of both Black and Brown communities in Chicago demonstrates otherwise.—
Andre Gee,
Rolling Stone,
21 Oct. 2025
-
Deep in the Amish and Mennonite communities of Ohio and Indiana, the dessert menu at Das Dutchman Essenhaus, a hospitable chain of family-style restaurants, features a pecan pie of grand design.—
Pervaiz Shallwani,
Bon Appetit Magazine,
21 Oct. 2025
Noun
-
With plans to establish permanent outposts on the Moon and send missions to Mars, food starts to take on a much more serious place in the scheme of things – even more so than on the ISS because there's a huge incentive to live off the land.—
David Szondy
October 19,
New Atlas,
19 Oct. 2025
-
In 1992, the company expanded outside of Spain with two outposts in Portugal.—
Rosemary Feitelberg,
Footwear News,
17 Oct. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Colonies.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/colonies. Accessed 22 Oct. 2025.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
Share