atoll

as in island
a ring-shaped land mass surrounded by water and made of coral

Synonyms & Similar Words

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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 atoll By 2050, it’s estimated that half the land area of Funafuti, the main atoll of Tuvalu, will become flooded by tidal waters. New York Times, 4 Nov. 2024 The Pacific archipelago of about 300,000 people is 10 time zones ahead of Paris and known to tourists for its UNESCO World Heritage atolls and reefs. Barbara Surk, Los Angeles Times, 23 Sep. 2024 Located off the coast of India, the Maldives has a population of about 525,000 across more than 1,000 islands and atolls. Lilit Marcus, CNN, 26 Nov. 2024 Tuvalu is located in the South Pacific, and is composed of several atolls and reef islands. Ashlyn Messier, Fox News, 1 Oct. 2024 See all Example Sentences for atoll 
Recent Examples of Synonyms for atoll
Noun
  • Our setting, the island of Carpathia, is a collage directly inspired by the Carpathian Mountains, which arc through Eastern Europe.
    Jamie Lang, Variety, 26 Jan. 2025
  • About 200,000 people have been forcibly returned to Haiti over the last year, mostly from the Dominican Republic, with which Haiti shares the island of Hispaniola.
    Trisha Thomas, Los Angeles Times, 26 Jan. 2025
Noun
  • The Florida Keys—an archipelago of coral cays stretching from just north of Key Largo all the way south to Key West—are not known for their bountiful beaches, which comes as a surprise to most visitors.
    Terry Ward, Outside Online, 19 Jan. 2025
  • The unspoiled cays are home to a national marine park, where visitors can snorkel with sea turtles.
    Eve Chen, USA TODAY, 17 Nov. 2024
Noun
  • After making the roughly 30-mile journey north from Tahiti, Brando found 12 small coral islets, or motus, encircling a tranquil lagoon.
    Sarah Kuta, Smithsonian Magazine, 7 Jan. 2025
  • While Lanikai Beach, with its view of the twin islets Nā Mokulua, has long lured beachgoers, nearby Kailua Beach, which spans 2.5 miles, is almost always less crowded and no less beautiful.
    Catherine Toth Fox, AFAR Media, 11 Dec. 2024
Noun
  • This image is part of an ongoing scientific project dedicated to exploring the nightlife and distinctive reproductive behaviors of corals and other inhabitants of the Red Sea coral reef.
    Cecilia Rodriguez, Forbes, 24 Jan. 2025
  • Covering nearly 133,000 square miles (345,000 square kilometers), the Great Barrier Reef is the world’s largest coral reef, home to more than 1,500 species of fish and 411 species of hard corals.
    Helen Regan, CNN, 23 Jan. 2025

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Cite this Entry

“Atoll.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/atoll. Accessed 3 Feb. 2025.

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