teddy bear

noun

ted·​dy bear ˈte-dē-ˌber How to pronounce teddy bear (audio)
: a stuffed toy bear

Examples of teddy bear in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web Firefighters then delivered three teddy bears to Brown’s children, and Youngkin got on one knee to give the family a Virginia flag framed in a wooden box. Justin Jouvenal, Washington Post, 4 Mar. 2024 An array of flowers and teddy bears lay at the feet of the memorial. C. Isaiah Smalls Ii, Miami Herald, 28 Feb. 2024 The ‘teddy bear’ effect Black men, who make up most of this year’s Black CEOs, face an unusual challenge with a peculiar name: the Teddy Bear effect. Sunny Nagpaul, Fortune, 9 Feb. 2024 Jean Paul Gaultier’s first designs were made on an inanimate teddy bear. Laird Borrelli-Persson, Vogue, 24 Jan. 2024 Shortly after the holiday, The Pursuit of Porsha author shared a handful of photos and clips of herself posing in a lime green bikini posing next to her lavish gifts, including a bouquet of red roses, a giant teddy bear and balloons. Sadie Bell, Peoplemag, 23 Feb. 2024 Weird candles are a staple on every home decor list, but this teddy bear candle may take the cake for the cutest candle yet. Taylor Gumm, Rolling Stone, 7 Feb. 2024 Some say the species looks like teddy bears, the zoo said. Makiya Seminera, Charlotte Observer, 31 Jan. 2024 Candy gets eaten, flowers wilt, and teddy bears get tossed aside. Dorian Smith-Garcia, Parents, 7 Feb. 2024

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'teddy bear.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Word History

Etymology

Teddy, nickname of Theodore Roosevelt; from a cartoon depicting the president sparing the life of a bear cub while hunting

First Known Use

1905, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of teddy bear was in 1905

Dictionary Entries Near teddy bear

Cite this Entry

“Teddy bear.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/teddy%20bear. Accessed 29 Mar. 2024.

Kids Definition

teddy bear

noun
ted·​dy bear ˈted-ē- How to pronounce teddy bear (audio)
: a stuffed toy bear

More from Merriam-Webster on teddy bear

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
Love words? Need even more definitions?

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