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 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
Unlike the open-country eagles many people picture soaring over cliffs or plains, harpies inhabit dense rainforests where visibility is limited, branches are tangled and maneuverability matters more than endurance.
—Scott Travers, Forbes.com, 17 May 2026
The greatest risk for stronger storms is expected across Lincoln County, Washington County and parts of the far northeast plains.
—Callie Zanandrie, CBS News, 17 May 2026
The spacecraft will soar over craters and plains and may be able to spot dust features and lava flows.
—Meghan Bartels, Scientific American, 14 May 2026
Like his ancestors, once known as prairie wolves, as song dogs, as tricksters and gods, who emerged from the deserts and high plains.
—Literary Hub, 12 May 2026
Tenant farmers from Oklahoma, Texas, Arkansas and Missouri who had lost everything to drought, collapsed crop prices and a decade of wind that stripped the topsoil off the plains migrated their families in hopes of survival.
—Jasmine Desiree, Los Angeles Times, 12 May 2026
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
Unlike the open-country eagles many people picture soaring over cliffs or plains, harpies inhabit dense rainforests where visibility is limited, branches are tangled and maneuverability matters more than endurance.
—Scott Travers, Forbes.com, 17 May 2026
The greatest risk for stronger storms is expected across Lincoln County, Washington County and parts of the far northeast plains.
—Callie Zanandrie, CBS News, 17 May 2026
The spacecraft will soar over craters and plains and may be able to spot dust features and lava flows.
—Meghan Bartels, Scientific American, 14 May 2026
Like his ancestors, once known as prairie wolves, as song dogs, as tricksters and gods, who emerged from the deserts and high plains.
—Literary Hub, 12 May 2026
Tenant farmers from Oklahoma, Texas, Arkansas and Missouri who had lost everything to drought, collapsed crop prices and a decade of wind that stripped the topsoil off the plains migrated their families in hopes of survival.
—Jasmine Desiree, Los Angeles Times, 12 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
-
Now, the siblings regularly discuss entirely new storylines and creative expansions with the author directly.—
Alison Foreman,
IndieWire,
19 May 2026
-
There is no money for more streetcar expansions, though the Streetcar Authority has studied a variety of possibilities.—
Eleanor Nash
May 18,
Kansas City Star,
18 May 2026
Noun
-
These billowing grasslands, rising up to heights of 10 feet, were once the largest continuous ecosystem on the continent, with more biodiversity than any place in the world aside from the Amazon rainforest.—
Matt Kirouac,
Travel + Leisure,
20 May 2026
-
Like the Columbia River Gorge, a Pacific Northwest icon where waterfalls tumble from towering cliffs, the landscape shifts from rainforest to arid grasslands in under two hours, and a historic highway is being transformed into a car-free trail.—
AFAR Media,
AFAR Media,
15 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 24 May. 2026.
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