blacktip shark
noun
black·tip shark
ˈblak-ˌtip- 
variants
or blacktip
or less commonly black-tipped shark
: a small, grayish requiem shark (Carcharhinus limbatus) with black-tipped fins that is widely distributed in coastal tropical and subtropical seas
The vast majority of shark bites are from so-called hit-and-run attacks by smaller species, such as blacktip sharks. They mistake thrashing arms or dangling feet as a prey item, dart in, bite and let go when they realize it's not a fish.—
Tim Friend
Tim FriendExamples of blacktip shark in a Sentence
Recent Examples on the Web
Though the species of shark behind the recent Volusia County bites is unknown, blacktip sharks are responsible for most of the bites in the region, according to Naylor.
—Bailey Richards, People.com, 19 July 2025
Screenshots from a drone showing how close a blacktip shark swam to a woman and her dog in South Beach Miami.
—Liz O'Connell, MSNBC Newsweek, 17 June 2025
The research focused on blacktip sharks (Carcharhinus limbatus) and involved a collaboration between the Charles E. Schmidt College of Science, the College of Engineering and Computer Science at Florida Atlantic University, the German Electron Synchrotron (DESY) in Germany, and NOAA Fisheries.
—Melissa Cristina Márquez, Forbes.com, 1 June 2025
There have been only 11 unprovoked blacktip shark bites on humans since 1959.
—Liz O'Connell, MSNBC Newsweek, 17 June 2025
See All Example Sentences for blacktip shark
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Bailey Richards, People.com, 19 July 2025
Screenshots from a drone showing how close a blacktip shark swam to a woman and her dog in South Beach Miami.
—Liz O'Connell, MSNBC Newsweek, 17 June 2025
The research focused on blacktip sharks (Carcharhinus limbatus) and involved a collaboration between the Charles E. Schmidt College of Science, the College of Engineering and Computer Science at Florida Atlantic University, the German Electron Synchrotron (DESY) in Germany, and NOAA Fisheries.
—Melissa Cristina Márquez, Forbes.com, 1 June 2025
There have been only 11 unprovoked blacktip shark bites on humans since 1959.
—Liz O'Connell, MSNBC Newsweek, 17 June 2025
See All Example Sentences for blacktip shark
Cite this Entry
“Blacktip shark.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/blacktip%20shark. Accessed 30 Jul. 2025.
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