as in isles
a fairly small area of land completely surrounded by water
the island of Hawaii is the largest in the Hawaiian archipelago
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Recent Examples of islands
Families love Split for its walkable Old Town, beaches, and ferry access to islands like Hvar and Korčula, where kids can swim while grandparents explore medieval towns.
—
Travel + Leisure Editors, Travel + Leisure, 9 Sep. 2025
The waterway separates two of Japan's main islands—Honshu to the south and Hokkaido to the north.
—Ryan Chan, MSNBC Newsweek, 8 Sep. 2025
Dangerous conditions from the building swells will be concentrated along the eastern shores of the islands, forecasters said.
—Christopher Cann, USA Today, 8 Sep. 2025
That event will be visible from New Zealand, eastern Australia and Antarctica, along with several Pacific Ocean islands.
—Anthony Wood, Space.com, 8 Sep. 2025
However, nowhere feels more like a true escape than the Florida Keys, a 125-mile-long chain of islands off the coast of Florida just south of Miami, beginning at Key Largo and terminating in Key West.
—Tara Massouleh McCay, Southern Living, 27 Aug. 2025
Rocks from glacial terrains left bare by retreating ice, coral from the Great Barrier Reef, stones from islands facing rising sea levels, and other materials from devastated or threatened ecosystems are transformed into tiny objects of reflection, connection, prayer and renewal.
—Joanne Shurvell, Forbes.com, 26 Aug. 2025
Kava is a beverage or extract typically made from the root of the pepper plant Piper methysticum in the South Pacific islands.
—Kristen Rogers, CNN Money, 26 Aug. 2025
The islands will naturally filter pollutants, reduce algae and create vital habitat for local wildlife, according to a social media post for the event.
—Mike Danahey, Chicago Tribune, 26 Aug. 2025
Travel + Leisure Editors, Travel + Leisure, 9 Sep. 2025
The waterway separates two of Japan's main islands—Honshu to the south and Hokkaido to the north.
—Ryan Chan, MSNBC Newsweek, 8 Sep. 2025
Dangerous conditions from the building swells will be concentrated along the eastern shores of the islands, forecasters said.
—Christopher Cann, USA Today, 8 Sep. 2025
That event will be visible from New Zealand, eastern Australia and Antarctica, along with several Pacific Ocean islands.
—Anthony Wood, Space.com, 8 Sep. 2025
However, nowhere feels more like a true escape than the Florida Keys, a 125-mile-long chain of islands off the coast of Florida just south of Miami, beginning at Key Largo and terminating in Key West.
—Tara Massouleh McCay, Southern Living, 27 Aug. 2025
Rocks from glacial terrains left bare by retreating ice, coral from the Great Barrier Reef, stones from islands facing rising sea levels, and other materials from devastated or threatened ecosystems are transformed into tiny objects of reflection, connection, prayer and renewal.
—Joanne Shurvell, Forbes.com, 26 Aug. 2025
Kava is a beverage or extract typically made from the root of the pepper plant Piper methysticum in the South Pacific islands.
—Kristen Rogers, CNN Money, 26 Aug. 2025
The islands will naturally filter pollutants, reduce algae and create vital habitat for local wildlife, according to a social media post for the event.
—Mike Danahey, Chicago Tribune, 26 Aug. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for islands
Noun
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The third installment in Rian Johnson’s Knives Out series will feature a darker, more Gothic aesthetic and tone following the idyllic Greek isles setting of Glass Onion.—
Ben Rosenstock,
Time,
27 Aug. 2025
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As a port city and cultural crossroads, Marseille feels like a fitting host for an artist whose imagination roamed from the Cycladic isles to the Egyptian tomb.—
Lee Sharrock,
Forbes.com,
5 Aug. 2025
Noun
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Known as the Xisha Islands in China and Hoang Sa Islands in Vietnam, the chain of reefs and atolls lies about 300 nautical miles south of the Chinese mainland and has long been a regional flashpoint.—
Bojan Stojkovski,
Interesting Engineering,
31 Aug. 2025
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Some Pacific atolls sit just 1 to 2 meters above sea level and are slowly disappearing as waters rise.—
Lauren Gifford,
Space.com,
25 Aug. 2025
Noun
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The channel forked into a series of smaller canals, each branching farther or looping around islets or petering out into dead ends.—
Nathaniel Rich,
Harpers Magazine,
20 Aug. 2025
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Rent one from Sea Panarea to discover hidden coves, sea caves, and the nearby islets of Basiluzzo and Lisca before settling in for sunset Negronis at the see-and-be-seen Bar del Porto.—
Nicky Swallow,
Travel + Leisure,
19 Aug. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Islands.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/islands. Accessed 10 Sep. 2025.
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