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
Later, in the 1970s, the finches on these islands were observed experiencing rapid evolution brought about by drought.
—
Taylor Nicioli, CNN Money, 12 Jan. 2026
Ferries may be the only link between islands, long-distance buses remain the backbone of inter-city travel, and weather disruptions can change your plans with little notice.
—Maria Williams, USA Today, 11 Jan. 2026
And South Carolina had the most islands on the list, with Florida (which has more than 4,000 islands compared to South Carolina’s 35) having two.
—Lyn Riddle, Boston Herald, 11 Jan. 2026
But curious travelers will find complex layers of human habitation, labor, and trade on islands that are still on the transatlantic routes of birds, whales, and the oil industry.
—Sarah Moss, Travel + Leisure, 11 Jan. 2026
Instead, the company targets private customers who need direct transport over rivers, between islands, or across large ranches.
—Aamir Khollam, Interesting Engineering, 10 Jan. 2026
Double islands have been used to add valuable workspace and storage in open kitchens, as well as to accommodate activities such as informal dining.
—Kristina McGuirk, Better Homes & Gardens, 10 Jan. 2026
Check out Pantelleria Seemingly drifting off towards Tunisia from Sicily’s southwestern shores, Pantelleria is the largest of the minor Sicilian islands and one of its most ravishing.
—Rosalyn Wikeley, Condé Nast Traveler, 10 Jan. 2026
John of John, Stuart’s third novel, follows a closeted young art student returning to his childhood home in Scotland’s Hebrides islands, where his unwell grandmother and conservative lay preacher father live uneasily under the same roof.
—Literary Hub, Literary Hub, 6 Jan. 2026
Taylor Nicioli, CNN Money, 12 Jan. 2026
Ferries may be the only link between islands, long-distance buses remain the backbone of inter-city travel, and weather disruptions can change your plans with little notice.
—Maria Williams, USA Today, 11 Jan. 2026
And South Carolina had the most islands on the list, with Florida (which has more than 4,000 islands compared to South Carolina’s 35) having two.
—Lyn Riddle, Boston Herald, 11 Jan. 2026
But curious travelers will find complex layers of human habitation, labor, and trade on islands that are still on the transatlantic routes of birds, whales, and the oil industry.
—Sarah Moss, Travel + Leisure, 11 Jan. 2026
Instead, the company targets private customers who need direct transport over rivers, between islands, or across large ranches.
—Aamir Khollam, Interesting Engineering, 10 Jan. 2026
Double islands have been used to add valuable workspace and storage in open kitchens, as well as to accommodate activities such as informal dining.
—Kristina McGuirk, Better Homes & Gardens, 10 Jan. 2026
Check out Pantelleria Seemingly drifting off towards Tunisia from Sicily’s southwestern shores, Pantelleria is the largest of the minor Sicilian islands and one of its most ravishing.
—Rosalyn Wikeley, Condé Nast Traveler, 10 Jan. 2026
John of John, Stuart’s third novel, follows a closeted young art student returning to his childhood home in Scotland’s Hebrides islands, where his unwell grandmother and conservative lay preacher father live uneasily under the same roof.
—Literary Hub, Literary Hub, 6 Jan. 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for islands
Noun
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The Baccarat Hotel & Residences, a centuries-old brand long associated with royal heritage and exquisite artistry, is located on five interconnected isles in the South Malé Atoll.—
Robb Report Studio,
Robb Report,
8 Dec. 2025
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Also, Bond … James Bond will be male, as written by creator Ian Fleming, and importantly, will be an actor who hails from the British isles.—
Baz Bamigboye,
Deadline,
24 Sep. 2025
Noun
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The radiation effects have been ruinous, according to US government reports cited by the Atomic Heritage Foundation, which said the testing was responsible for 55% of cancers on some of the islands’ northern atolls.—
Brad Lendon,
CNN Money,
4 Nov. 2025
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The main islands, including Hawaii, Maui, Lanai, Oahu and Kauai, are among a chain of islands, atolls, reefs and volcanoes beneath the sea that stretches 1,700 miles in the Pacific Ocean.—
Dinah Voyles Pulver,
USA Today,
11 Sep. 2025
Noun
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The island is one of the Cayos Cochinos, photogenic coral islets that form part of the Mesoamerican Barrier Reef System.—
Qin Xie,
Travel + Leisure,
29 Nov. 2025
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Moving forward, Teyton and his team are slated to do an analysis of all antigen-presenting cells for pre-diabetic pancreatic islets and normal ones and track how the cell populations change over time.—
Noah Lyons,
San Diego Union-Tribune,
8 Nov. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Islands.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/islands. Accessed 21 Jan. 2026.
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