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
Iconic species like cheetahs, leopards and the black rhino are found in the plains and forests of Tanzania.
—
Irene Wright, Miami Herald, 3 Oct. 2025
Aquifers collapsed, fertile plains subsided, and deserts spread.
—Nik Kowsar, Time, 2 Oct. 2025
Armed conflict on the northern plains increased from the 1850s into the 1860s as white settlers crossed deep into Indian Country, claiming the land and natural resources of Native nations.
—Literary Hub, 29 Sep. 2025
Helene shocked people from the plains and pine forests of Central and Eastern Georgia through scenic mountain vistas in North Carolina and Tennessee.
—Dinah Voyles Pulver, USA Today, 26 Sep. 2025
Baby Steps doesn't go quite that hard, giving players occasional major checkpoints and large, flat plains that prevent you from falling back too far.
—ArsTechnica, 23 Sep. 2025
The lithium fields outside Reno, Nevada, look like lunar plains with white crusts, shallow pans, and ribbon roads between drilling rigs.
—Kapil Kajal, Interesting Engineering, 23 Sep. 2025
During this epoch, expanses of coastal plains revealed themselves as sea levels dropped by around 330 feet.
—Andrew Paul, Popular Science, 18 Sep. 2025
Its closest living relative, as most would easily be able to guess, is the plains zebra.
—Scott Travers, Forbes.com, 18 Sep. 2025
Irene Wright, Miami Herald, 3 Oct. 2025
Aquifers collapsed, fertile plains subsided, and deserts spread.
—Nik Kowsar, Time, 2 Oct. 2025
Armed conflict on the northern plains increased from the 1850s into the 1860s as white settlers crossed deep into Indian Country, claiming the land and natural resources of Native nations.
—Literary Hub, 29 Sep. 2025
Helene shocked people from the plains and pine forests of Central and Eastern Georgia through scenic mountain vistas in North Carolina and Tennessee.
—Dinah Voyles Pulver, USA Today, 26 Sep. 2025
Baby Steps doesn't go quite that hard, giving players occasional major checkpoints and large, flat plains that prevent you from falling back too far.
—ArsTechnica, 23 Sep. 2025
The lithium fields outside Reno, Nevada, look like lunar plains with white crusts, shallow pans, and ribbon roads between drilling rigs.
—Kapil Kajal, Interesting Engineering, 23 Sep. 2025
During this epoch, expanses of coastal plains revealed themselves as sea levels dropped by around 330 feet.
—Andrew Paul, Popular Science, 18 Sep. 2025
Its closest living relative, as most would easily be able to guess, is the plains zebra.
—Scott Travers, Forbes.com, 18 Sep. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for plains
Noun
-
Hailing from the prairies of North America, this salvia is an end-of-the-season stunner that produces tall spikes of sky-blue flowers in late summer.—
Sheryl Geerts,
Better Homes & Gardens,
17 Sep. 2025
-
In early spring of 2025, the prairies were once again dry, but timely rainfall in mid May recharged wetlands in portions of North Dakota, southeastern Saskatchewan and southwestern Manitoba.—
Arkansas Online,
Arkansas Online,
16 Sep. 2025
Noun
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Vast expanses of aluminum panels and budget glass, slabs that look like they were drawn with a hacksaw, façades checkered with air conditioners, stretches of dead street frontage—the whole neighborhood looks like a first draft.—
Justin Davidson,
Curbed,
22 Sep. 2025
-
On the northern shore, Sarakiniko serves as a particular highlight thanks to its dramatic appearance, with vast expanses of bone-white rock stretching across its shoreline.—
Jared Ranahan,
Forbes.com,
18 Sep. 2025
Noun
-
Mongolia’s vast steppes and nomadic heritage have long shaped the rhythms of life.—
Munkhtuya Rentsenbat,
Forbes.com,
9 Sep. 2025
Noun
-
The forecast factors in expansions to Taiwan’s semiconductor industry, investments in AI development, and expected energy savings.—
Yu-Tzu Chiu,
IEEE Spectrum,
2 Oct. 2025
-
Other recent big-city brand expansions to Nashville include Pastis and Craig's.—
Mackensy Lunsford,
Nashville Tennessean,
2 Oct. 2025
Noun
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Rocking Star Adventures has four different tours that soar over the glaciers, mountains, and grasslands that form the park.—
Maryam Siddiqi,
Travel + Leisure,
1 Oct. 2025
-
Despite their incredibly unique look, quaggas were once very common across various grasslands in South Africa.—
Scott Travers,
Forbes.com,
18 Sep. 2025
Noun
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Some invasive ornamental grasses include pampas grass, Mexican feather grass, and fountaingrass.—
Miranda Crowell,
Better Homes & Gardens,
16 Aug. 2025
Noun
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Located right outside of town in neighboring Moss Point, the Grand Bay National Estuarine Research Reserve offers 18,000 acres of pine savannas, salt marshes, bays, bayous, and salt pannes to explore.—
Tara Massouleh McCay,
Southern Living,
27 Sep. 2025
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Chip Somodevilla/Getty Images An insurgency was launched by Boko Haram in 2009 to establish a caliphate in Nigeria and the broader Sahel (the semi-arid transitional zone between the Sahara and savannas), with several other terrorist groups also active in the region.—
Marni Rose McFall,
MSNBC Newsweek,
10 Sep. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Plains.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/plains. Accessed 7 Oct. 2025.
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