as in plains
a broad area of level or rolling treeless country
you can see for miles in every direction on the prairie
Synonyms & Similar 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 prairies
Wetlands in the area are also home to Everglades snail kites, which hunt for apple snails in freshwater marshes, and other rare species that once inhabited vast wet prairies drained for highways and neighborhoods.
—
Jenny Staletovich, Miami Herald, 24 Jan. 2026
There were no forests or prairies—land was largely dominated by slimy microbial mats.
—Taylor Mitchell Brown, Scientific American, 25 Nov. 2025
As these storms darkened the prairies, farmers and laborers alike sought refuge.
—Vann R. Newkirk Ii, The Atlantic, 10 Nov. 2025
Hailing from the prairies of North America, this salvia is an end-of-the-season stunner that produces tall spikes of sky-blue flowers in late summer.
—Sheryl Geerts, Better Homes & Gardens, 17 Sep. 2025
In early spring of 2025, the prairies were once again dry, but timely rainfall in mid May recharged wetlands in portions of North Dakota, southeastern Saskatchewan and southwestern Manitoba.
—Arkansas Online, 16 Sep. 2025
Still, the Cornhusker State quietly offers stunning wildflower experiences throughout the seasons—and fall is one of the best times to see its prairies' most stunning displays.
—Iona Brannon, Travel + Leisure, 9 Sep. 2025
The exhibit will feature fossils from the museum’s collection that show how ancient sea creatures once thrived where today’s prairies and towns stand, the release said.
—Michelle Mullins, Chicago Tribune, 26 Aug. 2025
The spiders prefer undisturbed lands to nest, so the vast prairies on the Comanche National Grassland make ideal habitats, Visit La Junta says.
—Gary Stoller, Forbes.com, 25 Aug. 2025
Jenny Staletovich, Miami Herald, 24 Jan. 2026
There were no forests or prairies—land was largely dominated by slimy microbial mats.
—Taylor Mitchell Brown, Scientific American, 25 Nov. 2025
As these storms darkened the prairies, farmers and laborers alike sought refuge.
—Vann R. Newkirk Ii, The Atlantic, 10 Nov. 2025
Hailing from the prairies of North America, this salvia is an end-of-the-season stunner that produces tall spikes of sky-blue flowers in late summer.
—Sheryl Geerts, Better Homes & Gardens, 17 Sep. 2025
In early spring of 2025, the prairies were once again dry, but timely rainfall in mid May recharged wetlands in portions of North Dakota, southeastern Saskatchewan and southwestern Manitoba.
—Arkansas Online, 16 Sep. 2025
Still, the Cornhusker State quietly offers stunning wildflower experiences throughout the seasons—and fall is one of the best times to see its prairies' most stunning displays.
—Iona Brannon, Travel + Leisure, 9 Sep. 2025
The exhibit will feature fossils from the museum’s collection that show how ancient sea creatures once thrived where today’s prairies and towns stand, the release said.
—Michelle Mullins, Chicago Tribune, 26 Aug. 2025
The spiders prefer undisturbed lands to nest, so the vast prairies on the Comanche National Grassland make ideal habitats, Visit La Junta says.
—Gary Stoller, Forbes.com, 25 Aug. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for prairies
Noun
-
Plants grow naturally in a wide range of habitats, from moist coastal plains, wetlands, and stream banks to drier sand dunes, hillsides, and upland forests.—
Kim Toscano,
Southern Living,
29 Jan. 2026
-
Its silvery surface is scarred by dark regions known as lunar maria, where molten lava once flooded enormous impact basins before hardening to create enormous basaltic plains.—
Anthony Wood,
Space.com,
28 Jan. 2026
Noun
-
All 40 rooms in the low-lying, two-story building look onto the park’s iconic towers, with large windows to catch Patagonia’s expansive steppes and skies.—
Sarah Marshall,
Condé Nast Traveler,
22 Jan. 2026
-
Unlike Argentina’s open steppes, Chilean Patagonia hugs the Pacific coast and is carved by glacial valleys covered in with dense vegetation.—
Eric Sheets,
Travel + Leisure,
5 Dec. 2025
Noun
-
The rolling grasslands and rocky beaches of Vandenberg Space Force Base, home to more than a dozen at-risk species, easily could pass for a peaceful nature preserve — but that’s an illusion.—
Los Angeles Times,
Los Angeles Times,
30 Jan. 2026
-
In summer, look for grizzlies wandering among the grasslands of the park’s Hayden Valley.—
Laura Kiniry,
Condé Nast Traveler,
28 Jan. 2026
Noun
-
The experience there usually involves wide-open savannas and convoys of jeeps lined up to take in the wildebeest and zebras passing through in the millions during the Great Migration.—
Nicholas DeRenzo,
Travel + Leisure,
13 Jan. 2026
-
Serval cats roam savannahs and wetlands.—
Kaicey Baylor,
CBS News,
10 Dec. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Prairies.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/prairies. Accessed 4 Feb. 2026.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
