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 70-million-year-old predator didn’t stalk herds on the plains.
—
Mrigakshi Dixit, Interesting Engineering, 28 May 2026
Despite the sweltering heat, the pilgrims gathered on the rocky hill and the surrounding plains for intense prayers that often mark a spiritual peak.
—ABC News, 26 May 2026
After my plane landed, I was texted a set of coordinates that led me to a dirt road deep in the high plains.
—Wyatt Williams, Harpers Magazine, 26 May 2026
The organic vineyards stretch across three distinct plains of the island, producing the pale, saline rosés and whites that Provence does better than anywhere.
—Monica Mendal, Vogue, 25 May 2026
What follows are eight properties redefining how the most discerning travelers chase the horizon, from the red rock of the American Southwest to the plains of the Serengeti, the Balinese jungle to the high alpine of Colorado.
—Ritu Upadhyay, Footwear News, 23 May 2026
The best lunar views actually come when the moon is only half-lit or slightly gibbous, when long shadows carve dramatic detail across craters, mountains and vast lava plains along the lunar sunrise line.
—Joe Rao, Space.com, 22 May 2026
The resources, plains and mountains of present-day Colorado provided food, shelter and a way of life for Indians throughout the region.
—Judith Kohler, Denver Post, 20 May 2026
Trod by more than 2,500 free-roaming bison, these windswept plains are at once quintessential Oklahoma and a modest wonder of the natural world.
—Matt Kirouac, Travel + Leisure, 20 May 2026
Mrigakshi Dixit, Interesting Engineering, 28 May 2026
Despite the sweltering heat, the pilgrims gathered on the rocky hill and the surrounding plains for intense prayers that often mark a spiritual peak.
—ABC News, 26 May 2026
After my plane landed, I was texted a set of coordinates that led me to a dirt road deep in the high plains.
—Wyatt Williams, Harpers Magazine, 26 May 2026
The organic vineyards stretch across three distinct plains of the island, producing the pale, saline rosés and whites that Provence does better than anywhere.
—Monica Mendal, Vogue, 25 May 2026
What follows are eight properties redefining how the most discerning travelers chase the horizon, from the red rock of the American Southwest to the plains of the Serengeti, the Balinese jungle to the high alpine of Colorado.
—Ritu Upadhyay, Footwear News, 23 May 2026
The best lunar views actually come when the moon is only half-lit or slightly gibbous, when long shadows carve dramatic detail across craters, mountains and vast lava plains along the lunar sunrise line.
—Joe Rao, Space.com, 22 May 2026
The resources, plains and mountains of present-day Colorado provided food, shelter and a way of life for Indians throughout the region.
—Judith Kohler, Denver Post, 20 May 2026
Trod by more than 2,500 free-roaming bison, these windswept plains are at once quintessential Oklahoma and a modest wonder of the natural world.
—Matt Kirouac, Travel + Leisure, 20 May 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for plains
Noun
-
The annual Belwin Bison Festival celebrates the release of the NorthStar Bison herd back onto the prairies at Belwin Conservancy.—
Jared Kaufman,
Twin Cities,
13 May 2026
-
First opened in 1876, outdoor enthusiasts love exploring Forest Park’s nature reserve, which is made up of more than 170 acres of forests, woodlands, savannas, prairies, wetlands, and more than 3 miles of waterways.—
Erika Ebsworth-Goold,
Travel + Leisure,
12 May 2026
Noun
-
By traversing sonic ground across its 10 tracks that transports listeners from the open expanses of Montana to the Mississippi Hill Country, Bingham and The Texas Gentlemen effectively weave a tapestry that knits together a throughline between foundational Americana genres.—
Chris Barilla,
PEOPLE,
15 May 2026
-
Encounters with whales, dolphins and penguins awaited; landscapes of icy expanses, towering cliffs and rolling green hills beckoned.—
Hira Humayun,
CNN Money,
6 May 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
-
Meanwhile, many museums are in serious financial straits, reckoning with the fiscal burden of optimistic expansions and unanticipated increases in operating costs.—
Katy Siegel,
Artforum,
2 June 2026
-
The global SiC market is currently dominated by a small number of producers, including Wolfspeed, Coherent, and STMicroelectronics, all of which have announced multi-billion-dollar capacity expansions in recent years.—
Aditya Jadhav,
Interesting Engineering,
1 June 2026
Noun
-
Researchers have been tracking how the shift from grasslands to crops has affected honey bee health and beekeeper revenue.—
Jennie L. Durant,
The Conversation,
26 May 2026
-
Like the southeast, the Great Plains have been under intense drought for months and experienced strong winds and low humidity this season, which helped fan flames through tinder-dry grasslands.—
Kasha Patel,
CNN Money,
23 May 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 6 Jun. 2026.
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