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
The terrain is mountainous, a mix of desert and semidesert plains.
—
ABC News, 3 May 2026
The terrain is mountainous, a mix of desert and semi-desert plains.
—Ope Adetayo, Los Angeles Times, 3 May 2026
Observing tips The lunar disk is entirely bereft of shadows during the full moon phase, making this the perfect time to trace the outline of lunar maria — where lava flows filled colossal impact basins billions of years ago before hardening to form sweeping basaltic plains.
—Anthony Wood, Space.com, 1 May 2026
For almost 10 years, Josh and Sarah Kimbrough have worked to build a home on the windswept high plains of Colorado’s rugged South Park.
—Elise Schmelzer, Denver Post, 1 May 2026
Communities like Fort Collins, Greeley, and parts of the northeast plains may see very little rainfall—generally less than a quarter inch.
—Callie Zanandrie, CBS News, 29 Apr. 2026
This 155-kilometer valley in Jujuy Province, recognized as a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 2003, has served as a trade and migration route for some 10,000 years, linking the high Andean plateau with the plains below.
—Carla Vianna, Condé Nast Traveler, 27 Apr. 2026
The Midwest has no shortage of wide-open highways, but what makes a plains-state drive memorable are the gloriously strange things waiting just off the interstate.
—Lauren Schuster, Charlotte Observer, 24 Apr. 2026
Scattered across the plains — from Kansas to Minnesota to Illinois — are some of the most wonderfully weird roadside stops in the country.
—Lauren Schuster, Miami Herald, 24 Apr. 2026
ABC News, 3 May 2026
The terrain is mountainous, a mix of desert and semi-desert plains.
—Ope Adetayo, Los Angeles Times, 3 May 2026
Observing tips The lunar disk is entirely bereft of shadows during the full moon phase, making this the perfect time to trace the outline of lunar maria — where lava flows filled colossal impact basins billions of years ago before hardening to form sweeping basaltic plains.
—Anthony Wood, Space.com, 1 May 2026
For almost 10 years, Josh and Sarah Kimbrough have worked to build a home on the windswept high plains of Colorado’s rugged South Park.
—Elise Schmelzer, Denver Post, 1 May 2026
Communities like Fort Collins, Greeley, and parts of the northeast plains may see very little rainfall—generally less than a quarter inch.
—Callie Zanandrie, CBS News, 29 Apr. 2026
This 155-kilometer valley in Jujuy Province, recognized as a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 2003, has served as a trade and migration route for some 10,000 years, linking the high Andean plateau with the plains below.
—Carla Vianna, Condé Nast Traveler, 27 Apr. 2026
The Midwest has no shortage of wide-open highways, but what makes a plains-state drive memorable are the gloriously strange things waiting just off the interstate.
—Lauren Schuster, Charlotte Observer, 24 Apr. 2026
Scattered across the plains — from Kansas to Minnesota to Illinois — are some of the most wonderfully weird roadside stops in the country.
—Lauren Schuster, Miami Herald, 24 Apr. 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for plains
Noun
-
The North American wildflowers still grow on prairies and grasslands, nourishing butterflies and bees with nectar-rich flowers that bloom from the top down.—
Jamie McIntosh,
The Spruce,
5 May 2026
-
Learn More The Great Plains prairies once covered 550 million acres—nearly a third of the continental United States.—
Teresa Woodard,
Midwest Living,
3 May 2026
Noun
-
In these plans, recalled Douglas Vakoch, president of Messaging Extraterrestrial Intelligence (METI) International in San Francisco, huge diagrams would be etched on large expanses of land here on Earth.—
Leonard David,
Space.com,
23 Apr. 2026
-
Large expanses of glass keep the outdoors in constant view, so the house shifts with the light throughout the day.—
Abby Montanez,
Robb Report,
23 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
-
Population growth is fueling the need for expansions, Sapp said, as Catholics are among the many people relocating to Charlotte from the Midwest and Northeast.—
Desiree Mathurin
April 28,
Charlotte Observer,
28 Apr. 2026
-
More expansions in the near term In the near term, Wall Street thinks the company will continue vertical investments and expansions, both upstream and downstream from its core GPU business.—
Tobias Burns,
CNBC,
27 Apr. 2026
Noun
-
Wildfires that occurred in grasslands, such as the southeastern Colorado Cherry Canyon Fire in 2020, by contrast, seemed to barely register with visitors.—
Kyle Manley,
The Conversation,
6 May 2026
-
The North American wildflowers still grow on prairies and grasslands, nourishing butterflies and bees with nectar-rich flowers that bloom from the top down.—
Jamie McIntosh,
The Spruce,
5 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 9 May. 2026.
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