dire wolf

noun

: a large extinct wolflike mammal (Aenocyon dirus) known from Pleistocene deposits of North America

Examples of dire wolf in a Sentence

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The dire wolf stood about 3½ feet tall and could be even longer than 6 feet and weigh up to 150 pounds. Brandi D. Addison, Austin American Statesman, 2 July 2025 Colossal used those samples to discover the dire wolf’s key traits in its DNA. Nicole Hoey, Robb Report, 7 Apr. 2025 Many scientists and reporters expressed skepticism about the claim that this amounts to restoring the dire wolf. Elay Shech, The Conversation, 30 May 2025 From there, Colossal elected to use a close relative of the dire wolf as the base. Jon Schlosberg, ABC News, 7 Apr. 2025 See All Example Sentences for dire wolf

Word History

First Known Use

1925, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of dire wolf was in 1925

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Cite this Entry

“Dire wolf.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/dire%20wolf. Accessed 18 Jul. 2025.

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