1
as in prairies
a broad area of level or rolling treeless country
the first settlers in that area lived on the vast plains in lonely log cabins
Synonyms & Similar Words
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2
as in expanses
a wide space or area
the vast plains of snow-covered earth that seemed to stretch endlessly
Synonyms & Similar Words
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Recent Examples of plains
As many as 60 million moved in waves across the plains, creating habitat for everything from beetles and butterflies to grizzly bears and wolves.
—
Christine Peterson, Outdoor Life, 5 Mar. 2026
By Sunday, downslope winds will help temperatures warm again, with highs returning to the 60s across the plains.
—Callie Zanandrie, CBS News, 5 Mar. 2026
Passengers swapped T-shirts with sweaters as the train gathered speed, and the plains around Bologna flitted by the window.
—Vic O'Sullivan, Travel + Leisure, 4 Mar. 2026
Tang Chhin, meanwhile, took a photo of the waning partial phase of the eclipse, as Earth's curved shadow slipped from the lunar disk, revealing the ancient lava plains of Mare Imbrium, Procellarum, Nubium and Humorum.
—Anthony Wood, Space.com, 4 Mar. 2026
Schools and other public buildings have been converted into polling centers, where ballots will be cast by residents — from remote Himalayan villages to towns across the southern plains.
—ABC News, 4 Mar. 2026
Southern magnolia is native to moist woodlands and bottomlands along the coastal plains where the seeds are eaten by birds and other wildlife.
—Kim Toscano, Southern Living, 3 Mar. 2026
The warning spans from the Interstate 25 corridor to most of the northeast plains.
—Elliott Wenzler, Denver Post, 27 Feb. 2026
Amongst the sandy plains of the Burning Springs region and throngs of raiders and ruthless cap collectors is Prime Video’s Fallout character, The Ghoul (Walton Goggins).
—Destiny Jackson, Deadline, 26 Feb. 2026
Christine Peterson, Outdoor Life, 5 Mar. 2026
By Sunday, downslope winds will help temperatures warm again, with highs returning to the 60s across the plains.
—Callie Zanandrie, CBS News, 5 Mar. 2026
Passengers swapped T-shirts with sweaters as the train gathered speed, and the plains around Bologna flitted by the window.
—Vic O'Sullivan, Travel + Leisure, 4 Mar. 2026
Tang Chhin, meanwhile, took a photo of the waning partial phase of the eclipse, as Earth's curved shadow slipped from the lunar disk, revealing the ancient lava plains of Mare Imbrium, Procellarum, Nubium and Humorum.
—Anthony Wood, Space.com, 4 Mar. 2026
Schools and other public buildings have been converted into polling centers, where ballots will be cast by residents — from remote Himalayan villages to towns across the southern plains.
—ABC News, 4 Mar. 2026
Southern magnolia is native to moist woodlands and bottomlands along the coastal plains where the seeds are eaten by birds and other wildlife.
—Kim Toscano, Southern Living, 3 Mar. 2026
The warning spans from the Interstate 25 corridor to most of the northeast plains.
—Elliott Wenzler, Denver Post, 27 Feb. 2026
Amongst the sandy plains of the Burning Springs region and throngs of raiders and ruthless cap collectors is Prime Video’s Fallout character, The Ghoul (Walton Goggins).
—Destiny Jackson, Deadline, 26 Feb. 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for plains
Noun
-
Thunderstorms ripped across Oklahoma prairies Thursday night as severe weather was expected to intensify Friday and bring the threat of powerful tornadoes to multiple states in the nation’s heartland.—
Kathy McCormack,
Los Angeles Times,
6 Mar. 2026
-
Druce-Hoffman said that her artwork is inspired by nature, the prairies, fairy tales, and fantasy.—
Myrna Petlicki,
Chicago Tribune,
2 Mar. 2026
Noun
-
As the train moves through the Hudson Valley and up toward the Canadian border, riverfront towns give way to wide expanses of water and distant mountain peaks.—
Lauren Dana Ellman,
Travel + Leisure,
8 Mar. 2026
-
His hymn to Aten is an exercise in majesty, an ode not just to the sun but to the expanses in which our solar system circulates.—
Classical Music Critic,
Los Angeles Times,
6 Mar. 2026
Noun
-
Folktales are filled with people fighting to survive in forests, steppes, and deserts, and evading and outwitting the wild beasts that dwell within them.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
18 Feb. 2026
-
Even today, its influence stretches from the steppes of Kazakhstan to the far reaches of low Earth orbit.—
Kenna Hughes-Castleberry,
Space.com,
15 Feb. 2026
Noun
-
The policies range from guardrails against online bullying to heart attack response training expansions and new uterine fibroid research funding.—
Jake Sheridan,
Chicago Tribune,
8 Mar. 2026
-
In just the past year, JPMorgan Chase, Wells Fargo, and Goldman Sachs have all announced significant expansions in the Dallas–Fort Worth region.—
Steven Fulop,
New York Daily News,
8 Mar. 2026
Noun
-
The reservation’s millions of acres cover and border terrain from rivers and grasslands to high alpine systems, including the largest contiguous glacial complex in the lower 48.—
Christine Peterson,
Outdoor Life,
5 Mar. 2026
-
According to a 2020 Department of Agriculture document that discusses oil and gas development of the grasslands where the trail is located, drill pads are expected to involve four to seven acres of initial disturbance, which would be reduced to an acre or less as the site is maintained.—
Alex Heard,
Outside,
4 Mar. 2026
Noun
-
No colonial power had ever controlled the swamps and savannas of the interior—an alien land of lagoons, glade marshes, prairies, and hardwood thickets.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
23 Feb. 2026
-
The park offers one of the most exciting wildlife experiences in Southern Africa, with a million acres of biodiverse savannas, wetlands, and montane rainforests, and a range of animals that includes buffalo herds, lion prides, and an array of birds.—
Lisa Grainger,
Condé Nast Traveler,
10 Feb. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Plains.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/plains. Accessed 13 Mar. 2026.
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