as in islands
a fairly small area of land completely surrounded by water
the Australian seas are rife with uninhabited isles
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Recent Examples of isles
Block Island, Rhode Island Unlike the other big isles off southern New England, this offshore slice of the Ocean State has gone the extra mile to preserve its natural environment.
—
Cnn.com Wire Service, Mercury News, 8 May 2026
The Best Wildlife Cruises Around the World From Arctic ice to equatorial isles, these wildlife cruises bring you face to face with the planet’s most extraordinary creatures.
—Hannah Towey, Condé Nast Traveler, 22 Apr. 2026
The Greek isles have a rhythm all their own and the best Mykonos Airbnbs are some of the finest ways to soak in all of that otherworldly seaside beauty for yourself.
—Bailey Berg, Architectural Digest, 16 Apr. 2026
Hassan Hakmoun and Adam Rudolph’s score circumnavigates the Mediterranean — a sea which touches Duato’s native Spain, North Africa, the Greek isles, Turkey, Syria, Israel and Gaza.
—Lauren Warnecke, Chicago Tribune, 27 Feb. 2026
Now, back on the market for $30 million, the 650-acre spread is one of the country’s most expensive isles on offer with infinite possibilities for creating your own Caribbean wonderland.
—Demetrius Simms, Robb Report, 29 Jan. 2026
The writer/director added that the isles already possessed the unique combination of beauty and decay that the story required — eliminating the need to build many new sets.
—Christian Zilko, IndieWire, 25 Jan. 2026
Brazil explained that Terceira holds more festivals than all the other Azorean isles combined.
—Gisela Williams, Travel + Leisure, 12 Jan. 2026
Also, Bond … James Bond will be male, as written by creator Ian Fleming, and importantly, will be an actor who hails from the British isles.
—Baz Bamigboye, Deadline, 24 Sep. 2025
Cnn.com Wire Service, Mercury News, 8 May 2026
The Best Wildlife Cruises Around the World From Arctic ice to equatorial isles, these wildlife cruises bring you face to face with the planet’s most extraordinary creatures.
—Hannah Towey, Condé Nast Traveler, 22 Apr. 2026
The Greek isles have a rhythm all their own and the best Mykonos Airbnbs are some of the finest ways to soak in all of that otherworldly seaside beauty for yourself.
—Bailey Berg, Architectural Digest, 16 Apr. 2026
Hassan Hakmoun and Adam Rudolph’s score circumnavigates the Mediterranean — a sea which touches Duato’s native Spain, North Africa, the Greek isles, Turkey, Syria, Israel and Gaza.
—Lauren Warnecke, Chicago Tribune, 27 Feb. 2026
Now, back on the market for $30 million, the 650-acre spread is one of the country’s most expensive isles on offer with infinite possibilities for creating your own Caribbean wonderland.
—Demetrius Simms, Robb Report, 29 Jan. 2026
The writer/director added that the isles already possessed the unique combination of beauty and decay that the story required — eliminating the need to build many new sets.
—Christian Zilko, IndieWire, 25 Jan. 2026
Brazil explained that Terceira holds more festivals than all the other Azorean isles combined.
—Gisela Williams, Travel + Leisure, 12 Jan. 2026
Also, Bond … James Bond will be male, as written by creator Ian Fleming, and importantly, will be an actor who hails from the British isles.
—Baz Bamigboye, Deadline, 24 Sep. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for isles
islands
Noun
-
Here are some of the most underrated islands in Italy.—
Nicky Swallow,
Travel + Leisure,
17 May 2026
-
For example, small islands are far more abundant than large ones—a pattern of complexity that makes the distribution of sizes for Earth’s islands fractal, too.—
Alex Music,
Scientific American,
16 May 2026
Cite this Entry
“Isles.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/isles. Accessed 22 May. 2026.
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