atoll

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

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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 The atoll is also an experimental site for innovative technologies and methods to combat climate change. Sarah Kuta, Smithsonian Magazine, 7 Jan. 2025 The rest of the top 10 rankings went to island escapes, including American Samoa, a US territory that includes seven South Pacific islands and atolls near Fiji; the Canary Islands, a Spanish archipelago off the coast of northwest Africa, Portugal's the Azores; and Turks and Caicos in the Caribbean. Hannah Towey, Condé Nast Traveler, 10 Dec. 2024 Courtesy Kellie Carlson The attack The attack unfolded as Carlson and her family — all avid divers — were at the Lighthouse Reef atoll in the Caribbean Sea. Morgan Chesky, NBC News, 31 Dec. 2024 These include Pacific atolls vaporized in mile-high explosions. Thomas Bass author, Newsweek, 19 Dec. 2024 See All Example Sentences for atoll
Recent Examples of Synonyms for atoll
Noun
  • On that Saturday, hundreds filed past — a priest and his parishioners from the Azores islands, a nun from Colombia and her Passionist sisters, a family with two teens from near Venice.
    Time, Time, 27 Mar. 2025
  • Greenland is an island nation roughly as big as Alaska and Montana combined.
    George Petras, USA Today, 27 Mar. 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
  • The Italian Coast Guard rendered aid after spotting a rubber dinghy, often used to carry migrants, half submerged near the islet, according to The Guardian.
    Rachel Flynn, People.com, 20 Mar. 2025
  • The researchers wanted to develop a less invasive technique that allowed donor islets to be implanted in a site that was more accessible, such as under the skin, and that enabled the islets’ indefinite survival.
    Paul McClure February 23, New Atlas, 23 Feb. 2025
Noun
  • As keystone species, parrotfish play a critical part in maintaining coral reef health by grazing on macroalgae that would otherwise suffocate coral—clearing space for reefs to regenerate.
    Ashlee Marie Preston, Forbes.com, 27 Mar. 2025
  • Long, elegant Eleuthera, one of the gems of the Bahamas’ Out Islands, shares the assets of its country—crystal-clear turquoise seas, coral reefs with vibrant marine life, pink- and white-sand beaches, and stunning stretches of rocky shoreline.
    Robb Report Studio, Robb Report, 20 Mar. 2025

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“Atoll.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/atoll. Accessed 6 Apr. 2025.

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