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
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of plains
This makes the country the only place in East Africa in which to see gorillas (in Volcanoes NP), chimpanzees (in Nyungwe NP), and lion, leopard, elephant, buffalo and white and black rhino, alongside plains game and over 550 species of birds (in Akagera NP).
—
Condé Nast, Condé Nast Traveler, 23 Apr. 2026
On the plains, grasshoppers could become a bigger nuisance as their natural food sources disappear.
—Callie Zanandrie, CBS News, 23 Apr. 2026
The view then begins to shift as the train enters southeastern Colorado, passing small towns and rolling plains that gradually give way to more rugged terrain.
—Abby Price, Travel + Leisure, 20 Apr. 2026
Earthshine occurs when sunlight bounces off our planet's cloudy atmosphere to strike the moon, bathing its unlit side in a subtle glow that can reveal the dark forms of lunar maria, vast plains where ancient lava once cooled and hardened into sweeping basaltic landscapes.
—Anthony Wood, Space.com, 19 Apr. 2026
White represents the frozen North, brown evokes the continents and plains of the South, green looks towards the West with its forest and jungles and blue symbolizes the Eastern horizon where the ocean and sky meet.
—Fairchild Studio, Footwear News, 17 Apr. 2026
The border closure particularly affects cattle feedlots and ranchers who graze cattle in the southern plains.
—ABC News, 16 Apr. 2026
As those dry earlier, so do fuels lower down, exacerbating a drought already plaguing the West’s high plains.
—Christine Peterson, Outdoor Life, 15 Apr. 2026
Rather than honing in on a particular animal or region, the series takes a kaleidoscopic look at life on Earth by visiting different ecosystem types, including plains, mountains, jungles, forests and the mysterious depths of the ocean.
—David Faris, TheWeek, 13 Apr. 2026
Condé Nast, Condé Nast Traveler, 23 Apr. 2026
On the plains, grasshoppers could become a bigger nuisance as their natural food sources disappear.
—Callie Zanandrie, CBS News, 23 Apr. 2026
The view then begins to shift as the train enters southeastern Colorado, passing small towns and rolling plains that gradually give way to more rugged terrain.
—Abby Price, Travel + Leisure, 20 Apr. 2026
Earthshine occurs when sunlight bounces off our planet's cloudy atmosphere to strike the moon, bathing its unlit side in a subtle glow that can reveal the dark forms of lunar maria, vast plains where ancient lava once cooled and hardened into sweeping basaltic landscapes.
—Anthony Wood, Space.com, 19 Apr. 2026
White represents the frozen North, brown evokes the continents and plains of the South, green looks towards the West with its forest and jungles and blue symbolizes the Eastern horizon where the ocean and sky meet.
—Fairchild Studio, Footwear News, 17 Apr. 2026
The border closure particularly affects cattle feedlots and ranchers who graze cattle in the southern plains.
—ABC News, 16 Apr. 2026
As those dry earlier, so do fuels lower down, exacerbating a drought already plaguing the West’s high plains.
—Christine Peterson, Outdoor Life, 15 Apr. 2026
Rather than honing in on a particular animal or region, the series takes a kaleidoscopic look at life on Earth by visiting different ecosystem types, including plains, mountains, jungles, forests and the mysterious depths of the ocean.
—David Faris, TheWeek, 13 Apr. 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for plains
Noun
-
In warmer months, the region’s woodlands, meadows, and prairies fill with vibrant blossoms of all sorts that attract a whole host of pollinators.—
Erika Ebsworth-Goold,
Midwest Living,
20 Apr. 2026
-
As a native to prairies, meadows, and open woods, this garden favorite cannot tolerate having 'wet feet' and requires the optimal drainage sandy soil provides.—
SJ McShane,
Martha Stewart,
16 Apr. 2026
Noun
-
And our national parks were still wild expanses barely fit for mules.—
Jacqueline Kehoe,
Travel + Leisure,
13 Apr. 2026
-
Glass expanses and sliding walls dissolve boundaries, while Turner’s mix of tactile natural materials and warm neutrals echoes the setting without resorting to Caribbean cliché.—
Andrew Sessa,
Robb Report,
5 Apr. 2026
Noun
-
Longer-running hiking trips take you everywhere from Western Greenland to the sea cliffs of the Faroe Islands, the steppes of Mongolia, or the Tien Shan Mountains of Kyrgyzstan.—
The Editors,
Outside,
18 Mar. 2026
-
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
Noun
-
But Apple’s more recent expansions into areas like virtual reality and artificial intelligence haven’t been as successful.—
Lisa Eadicicco,
CNN Money,
20 Apr. 2026
-
If passed, the bill could let some beach cities and counties, not the Coastal Commission, oversee development of certain housing projects, as well as efforts to create new or improved bike lanes, outdoor dining expansions and temporary street uses connected to big events, such as the 2028 Olympics.—
Andre Mouchard,
Oc Register,
19 Apr. 2026
Noun
-
While access is currently limited, the park’s managing authority TANAPA have given the go-ahead for several new roads winding around towering kopjes, through grasslands and along a river.—
Condé Nast,
Condé Nast Traveler,
24 Apr. 2026
-
For Brazil, this means expanding sugarcane into the Cerrado, the world’s largest grasslands and home to many endemic and threatened species.—
Nithin Coca,
semafor.com,
23 Apr. 2026
Noun
-
Earth’s biosphere includes microbes, forests, savannas, animals, and more.—
Big Think,
Big Think,
22 Apr. 2026
-
Elephants are among the planet’s most majestic creatures, gentle giants who walk steadfastly through the savannas, forests and deserts of Africa and Asia.—
Catherine Garcia,
TheWeek,
2 Apr. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Plains.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/plains. Accessed 26 Apr. 2026.
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