the States

plural noun

informal
: the United States of America
My cousin from England is coming to visit me in the States.

Examples of the States in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web
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.
While Sabrina’s identical twin sister, Virginia, was arranged to marry a Chinese American man in the States who spoke no Cantonese, Sabrina wouldn’t let her parents stop their love— or stop her from getting pregnant. — Literary Hub, 16 Oct. 2026 This is something Rodriguez, who is half Puerto Rican and half Dominican, born and raised in the States, also personally relates to. — Johanna Ferreira, Los Angeles Times, 16 Oct. 2026 The Odeds and Weingartens faced competition from companies like Premier Dead Sea, which was also gaining a foothold in the States with its own family of brands. — Monika Evstatieva, NPR, 14 Oct. 2026 Back in the States, Alohas lands in San Francisco for the first time with a new store at 2208 Fillmore Street. — Stephen Garner, Footwear News, 13 Oct. 2026 See All Example Sentences for the States

Rhymes for the States

See All Rhymes for the States

Browse Nearby Words

the start
the States
the status quo
See all Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“The States.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/the%20States. Accessed 20 Oct. 2026.

Copy Citation
Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences

More from Merriam-Webster

Word of the Day

Listen to the pronunciation of compunction

See Definitions and Examples »

Popular in Grammar & Usage

See More

'Affect' vs. 'Effect'

Merriam-Webster’s Great Big List of Words You Love to Hate

The Exceptions of '-s' and '-es' Plurals

Is it 'nerve-racking' or 'nerve-wracking'?

What's the difference between 'fascism' and 'socialism'?
See More

Popular in Wordplay

See More

16 Food Words Recently Added to the Dictionary

The Real Origin of 'Supercalifragilistic'

9 Words That Sound Like Insults But Aren't

7 Words for Bad Endings and Rough Situations

Did 'orange' the fruit or the color come first?
See More

Popular

See More

'Affect' vs. 'Effect'

16 Food Words Recently Added to the Dictionary

The Real Origin of 'Supercalifragilistic'
See More

Games & Quizzes

See All
Play Quordle: Guess all four words in a limited number of tries. Each of your guesses must be a real 5-letter word.
Quordle Can you solve 4 words at once?
Play Blossom: Solve today's spelling word game by finding as many words as you can using just 7 letters. Longer words score more points.
Blossom Pick the best words!
Play Missing Letter: a crossword with a twist. Each of the 25 puzzle words start with a different letter of the alphabet. Which letter is missing?
The Missing Letter A daily crossword with a twist
artwork of illustrated limes with the text limes and smile with an arrow connecting the two words
Quiz: Spot the Anagram! Scramble these words to find new words with the e...
See All