as in plains
a broad area of level or rolling treeless country
you can see for miles in every direction on the prairie
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Recent Examples of prairies
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
Pankau said he’s seen Callery pears increasingly invade prairies and other natural areas that are undergoing restoration in Illinois.
—Jerry Wu, Chicago Tribune, 11 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
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
Bison are a keystone species to North American prairies.
—Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 29 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
Guitarist-banjoist Paul Lecours and singer-poet Karsyn Henderson formed Truck Violence after moving from the remote prairies of Alberta to the busy metropolis of Montreal as 17-year-olds.
—Nina Corcoran, Pitchfork, 14 Apr. 2026
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
Pankau said he’s seen Callery pears increasingly invade prairies and other natural areas that are undergoing restoration in Illinois.
—Jerry Wu, Chicago Tribune, 11 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
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
Bison are a keystone species to North American prairies.
—Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 29 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
Guitarist-banjoist Paul Lecours and singer-poet Karsyn Henderson formed Truck Violence after moving from the remote prairies of Alberta to the busy metropolis of Montreal as 17-year-olds.
—Nina Corcoran, Pitchfork, 14 Apr. 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for prairies
Noun
-
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
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
-
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
“Prairies.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/prairies. Accessed 24 May. 2026.
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