great ape
noun
plural great apes
: any of several large primates including the orangutan, gorilla, chimpanzee, and bonobo that are classified in the same family (Hominidae) as humans
Examples of great ape in a Sentence
Recent Examples on the Web
Chimpanzees are classified as great apes and are the closest living relative to humans, sharing about 98% of the same genetic makeup.
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Jade Jackson, IndyStar, 28 Aug. 2025
Over the horizon, long term planning is not the strong suit of great apes like us.
—Bruce Dorminey, Forbes.com, 25 Aug. 2025
While the Donkey Kong series has many great games in its lineage (the SNES-era Country titles and the 2010s’ reboots are best-in-class 2D side-scrollers), it’s been a long time since this level of investment has been leveraged for Nintendo’s great ape.
—Christopher Cruz, Rolling Stone, 16 July 2025
Your explanation really begins with Lucy, the first of our ancestors who could not give birth unassisted and would have had a more difficult early motherhood than modern great apes.
—Sonja Sharp, Los Angeles Times, 28 June 2025
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Jade Jackson, IndyStar, 28 Aug. 2025
Over the horizon, long term planning is not the strong suit of great apes like us.
—Bruce Dorminey, Forbes.com, 25 Aug. 2025
While the Donkey Kong series has many great games in its lineage (the SNES-era Country titles and the 2010s’ reboots are best-in-class 2D side-scrollers), it’s been a long time since this level of investment has been leveraged for Nintendo’s great ape.
—Christopher Cruz, Rolling Stone, 16 July 2025
Your explanation really begins with Lucy, the first of our ancestors who could not give birth unassisted and would have had a more difficult early motherhood than modern great apes.
—Sonja Sharp, Los Angeles Times, 28 June 2025
See All Example Sentences for great ape
Cite this Entry
“Great ape.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/great%20ape. Accessed 30 Sep. 2025.
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