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
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
-
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
-
Nine San Diego County communities reported record high temperatures Wednesday as the region’s long heat wave continued and seasonal weather won’t broadly return until early next week, the National Weather Service says.—
Gary Robbins,
San Diego Union-Tribune,
19 Mar. 2026
-
Official samba schools began forming in the 1930s, bringing the (previously criminalised) dance into the mainstream and celebrating an art form produced by Rio’s favela communities (Afro-Brazilian heritage is still at the heart).—
Laura French,
TheWeek,
18 Mar. 2026
Noun
-
Over the last three decades, Weiss has directly helped establish dozens of Israeli outposts – settlements in the West Bank built without legal authorization.—
Rafa Sales Ross,
Variety,
19 Mar. 2026
-
Rewilding Argentina has also, in recent years, crafted a network of fresh trails and rock-climbing routes in Parque Patagonia, and glamping outposts in El Impenetrable National Park, in Argentina’s semiarid Gran Chaco forests.—
The Editors,
Outside,
18 Mar. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Colonies.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/colonies. Accessed 22 Mar. 2026.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
