Definition of mainlandnext
as in continent
one of the great divisions of land on the globe or the main part of such a division the boat back to the mainland leaves once every two days

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Example Sentences

Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Recent Examples of mainland One of the reasons American troops would be vulnerable on Kharg Island is its close proximity — about 21 miles — to the Iranian mainland, from which missiles, drones and artillery could be fired. Ben Finley, Los Angeles Times, 31 Mar. 2026 The company is the second-largest cloud provider in mainland China. Evelyn Cheng, CNBC, 31 Mar. 2026 In contrast to mainland sites that have been extensively studied, Minamitorishima remains relatively underexplored. Georgina Jedikovska, Interesting Engineering, 30 Mar. 2026 But getting them inside the gulf could be a problem as their motherships would have to get past possible Iranian defenses on islands earlier in the curve – Hormuz, Larak, Qeshm and Hengam – as well as on the Iranian mainland. Brad Lendon, CNN Money, 28 Mar. 2026 See All Example Sentences for mainland
Recent Examples of Synonyms for mainland
continent
Noun
  • Kathryn has explored 60-plus countries on six continents while contributing to Architectural Digest, Departures, AFAR, C Magazine, Brides, and Los Angeles Times, among other publications.
    Condé Nast, Condé Nast Traveler, 31 Mar. 2026
  • The image quickly spread across platforms including X, Facebook and Threads, with users pointing to it as symbolic evidence that the protests reached every continent.
    Alice Gibbs, MSNBC Newsweek, 30 Mar. 2026

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Cite this Entry

“Mainland.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/mainland. Accessed 3 Apr. 2026.

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