as in continent
one of the great divisions of land on the globe or the main part of such a division
the boat back to the mainland leaves once every two days
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Recent Examples of mainland
Ambergris Caye and Caye Caulker, Belize Located on Central America’s northeastern coast, just south of Mexico, Belize consists of a mainland area and about 450 islands.
—
Patricia Doherty, Travel + Leisure, 22 Feb. 2026
Markets in Japan and mainland China were closed for holidays.
—ABC News, 22 Feb. 2026
This, as the name suggests, is a set of islands that includes mainland Japan, Okinawa, Taiwan, the Philippines, Indonesia, and Malaysia.
—Christopher McFadden, Interesting Engineering, 21 Feb. 2026
Don your hiking boots and prepare yourself to roam perhaps the most untamed piece of mainland France.
—Rob Crossan, Condé Nast Traveler, 16 Feb. 2026
See All Example Sentences for mainland
Patricia Doherty, Travel + Leisure, 22 Feb. 2026
Markets in Japan and mainland China were closed for holidays.
—ABC News, 22 Feb. 2026
This, as the name suggests, is a set of islands that includes mainland Japan, Okinawa, Taiwan, the Philippines, Indonesia, and Malaysia.
—Christopher McFadden, Interesting Engineering, 21 Feb. 2026
Don your hiking boots and prepare yourself to roam perhaps the most untamed piece of mainland France.
—Rob Crossan, Condé Nast Traveler, 16 Feb. 2026
See All Example Sentences for mainland
Recent Examples of Synonyms for mainland
continent
Noun
-
The traders hail from 18 different countries across three continents, according to Scott Reed, who runs the trading floor.—
Rachel Treisman,
NPR,
21 Feb. 2026
-
As his career expanded across continents, so did his real estate holdings—from historic London residences to discreet Tribeca apartments and sleek California retreats.—
Abby Montanez,
Robb Report,
20 Feb. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Mainland.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/mainland. Accessed 1 Mar. 2026.
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