as in mainlands
one of the great divisions of land on the globe or the main part of such a division
Europe and Asia are sometimes considered together to be one continent
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Recent Examples of continents
Katherine had her first passport stamped before her first birthday, and has traveled to all seven continents.
—
Condé Nast, Condé Nast Traveler, 2 Apr. 2026
In February 2017 separate studies examining Earth’s geological and geophysical characteristics revealed evidence of ancient sunken continents in the Indian and Pacific Oceans.
—Encyclopedia Britannica, 2 Apr. 2026
The 41 countries represented came from all continents except Antarctica, a reflection of the global tremors from a war that has sparked shortages of fuel and fertilizer and higher prices for food far beyond the Middle East.
—Jill Lawless, Los Angeles Times, 2 Apr. 2026
The group collaborated across continents, sending demos to each other and reuniting in Melbourne for studio sessions.
—Charisma Madarang, Rolling Stone, 1 Apr. 2026
Paul Tilsley is a veteran correspondent who has reported from four continents for more than three decades.
—Paul Tilsley, FOXNews.com, 1 Apr. 2026
Unlike birds, fish, or whales, rats can’t travel long distances on their own, and yet they can be found on six of the seven continents and even on islands hundreds of miles from the mainland.
—Jason Bittel, Big Think, 31 Mar. 2026
Jeff Satur has sold out arenas on three continents.
—Naman Ramachandran, Variety, 30 Mar. 2026
The spending spans continents—from European destinations to exclusive sporting events—and often aligns with the travel and activities of senior soccer officials.
—Antonio María Delgado, Miami Herald, 27 Mar. 2026
Condé Nast, Condé Nast Traveler, 2 Apr. 2026
In February 2017 separate studies examining Earth’s geological and geophysical characteristics revealed evidence of ancient sunken continents in the Indian and Pacific Oceans.
—Encyclopedia Britannica, 2 Apr. 2026
The 41 countries represented came from all continents except Antarctica, a reflection of the global tremors from a war that has sparked shortages of fuel and fertilizer and higher prices for food far beyond the Middle East.
—Jill Lawless, Los Angeles Times, 2 Apr. 2026
The group collaborated across continents, sending demos to each other and reuniting in Melbourne for studio sessions.
—Charisma Madarang, Rolling Stone, 1 Apr. 2026
Paul Tilsley is a veteran correspondent who has reported from four continents for more than three decades.
—Paul Tilsley, FOXNews.com, 1 Apr. 2026
Unlike birds, fish, or whales, rats can’t travel long distances on their own, and yet they can be found on six of the seven continents and even on islands hundreds of miles from the mainland.
—Jason Bittel, Big Think, 31 Mar. 2026
Jeff Satur has sold out arenas on three continents.
—Naman Ramachandran, Variety, 30 Mar. 2026
The spending spans continents—from European destinations to exclusive sporting events—and often aligns with the travel and activities of senior soccer officials.
—Antonio María Delgado, Miami Herald, 27 Mar. 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for continents
Noun
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The two mainlands themselves are only 55 miles apart where Alaska's Seward Peninsula and Russia's Chukotka Peninsula sit on opposite sides of the Bering Sea.—
Trevor Hughes,
USA Today,
15 Aug. 2025
Noun
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There was SimEarth in 1990, in which the player tunes a planet’s atmospheric conditions, sculpts its landmasses, plunks down life-forms.—
Eric Boodman,
Vulture,
25 Mar. 2026
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Her ink stains cohered into easily recognizable signs—butterflies, fighter jets, bodies of water, landmasses—that were complicated by text printed atop them.—
Daniel R. Quiles,
Artforum,
1 Mar. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Continents.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/continents. Accessed 6 Apr. 2026.
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