Illustration of atoll
: a coral island consisting of a reef surrounding a lagoon
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If you are lucky enough to sail south and west of Sri Lanka in the Indian Ocean, you'll find the Maldives, a group of about 1,200 coral islands and sandbanks that form the Republic of Maldives. Many islands in that independent nation demonstrate the archetypal atoll, and geographers often use them to point out the characteristic features of such coral islands. Given how prevalent atolls are there, it isn't surprising that atoll comes from the name for that kind of island in Divehi, the official language of the Maldives.
Examples of atoll in a Sentence
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Brando, the owner of an atoll in Tahiti, where his family dwelled, had become the beggar of Hollywood, who had to feed on crumbs.
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Literary Hub, 17 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
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
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Literary Hub, 17 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
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
See All Example Sentences for atoll
Cite this Entry
“Atoll.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/atoll. Accessed 22 Sep. 2025.
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