as in island
a ring-shaped land mass surrounded by water and made of coral
Related Words
Relevance
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
Analysts have said Beijing’s plan to categorize the shoal as a nature reserve amounts to trying to take the moral high ground in the dispute over the atoll, known as Huangyan Island in China and Panatag Shoal in the Philippines.
—
Reuters, NBC news, 16 Sep. 2025
The main islands, including Hawaii, Maui, Lanai, Oahu and Kauai, are among a chain of islands, atolls, reefs and volcanoes beneath the sea that stretches 1,700 miles in the Pacific Ocean.
—Dinah Voyles Pulver, USA Today, 11 Sep. 2025
China seized the uninhabited atoll – 870 km (540 miles) from its southernmost province of Hainan – in 2012 after a long standoff with the Philippine Navy, and has maintained an almost constant coast guard presence in nearby waters since.
—Nectar Gan, CNN Money, 11 Sep. 2025
Also in the Tuamotus, the atoll of Fakarava is known for diving at its south pass, Tetamanu, famed for its wall of hundreds of gray reef sharks.
—Terry Ward, AFAR Media, 11 Sep. 2025
See All Example Sentences for atoll
Reuters, NBC news, 16 Sep. 2025
The main islands, including Hawaii, Maui, Lanai, Oahu and Kauai, are among a chain of islands, atolls, reefs and volcanoes beneath the sea that stretches 1,700 miles in the Pacific Ocean.
—Dinah Voyles Pulver, USA Today, 11 Sep. 2025
China seized the uninhabited atoll – 870 km (540 miles) from its southernmost province of Hainan – in 2012 after a long standoff with the Philippine Navy, and has maintained an almost constant coast guard presence in nearby waters since.
—Nectar Gan, CNN Money, 11 Sep. 2025
Also in the Tuamotus, the atoll of Fakarava is known for diving at its south pass, Tetamanu, famed for its wall of hundreds of gray reef sharks.
—Terry Ward, AFAR Media, 11 Sep. 2025
See All Example Sentences for atoll
Recent Examples of Synonyms for atoll
Noun
-
Meanwhile, satellite imagery from late September showed Fujian docked at Hainan island in the northern part of the South China Sea, where its commissioning ceremony is expected soon.—
Brad Lendon,
CNN Money,
26 Oct. 2025
-
Officials in Jamaica have activated nearly 600 shelters and closed major transportation hubs in anticipation of hazardous conditions, and have said that warehouses across the island are well-stocked with thousands of food packages ready for quick distribution if necessary.—
Daniel Orton,
MSNBC Newsweek,
26 Oct. 2025
Noun
-
Long Bay Beach, Providenciales, Turks & Caicos No, the island of Provo—the traveler’s gateway to Turks and Caicos’s 40-odd islands and cays—isn’t undiscovered by any stretch of the imagination.—
Kristin Braswell,
AFAR Media,
14 Aug. 2025
-
Offshore, cays drift in dreamy isolation—their edges kissed by foamy surf and dotted with nesting Brown Pelicans.—
Lewis Nunn,
Forbes.com,
8 Aug. 2025
Noun
-
These islets include beta cells and can be infused into a patient to restore their ability to produce their own insulin.—
Tara Haelle,
Scientific American,
14 Oct. 2025
-
The uninhabited islets became a focal point of tensions between China and Japan after Tokyo nationalized the chain in 2012.—
Micah McCartney,
MSNBC Newsweek,
7 Oct. 2025
Noun
-
As this heatwave persisted, the authors tracked the health of 52,356 wild and restored Acropora coral colonies across the 350-mile length of Florida's coral reef.—
Doyle Rice,
USA Today,
24 Oct. 2025
-
In addition to her fashion business, Doble serves as an ambassador for Project Zero, leading initiatives focused on coral reef conservation and sustainable fashion practices.—
Lisa Lockwood,
Footwear News,
24 Oct. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Atoll.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/atoll. Accessed 29 Oct. 2025.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
Share