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
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Based on this taxonomy, the researchers estimate that kissing evolved after the great apes split from the lesser apes.
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Stephanie Pappas, Scientific American, 19 Nov. 2025
African grey parrots — roughly the size of a pigeon, with sleek grey bodies and crimson tail feathers — are the great apes of the bird world.
—Rene Ebersole, Rolling Stone, 18 Nov. 2025
With their large hands and expressive, doleful faces, the great apes are often depicted as the poster children for experimentation.
—Ava Kofman, New Yorker, 3 Nov. 2025
While these relatives possessed human-like hand proportions, their grip strength more likely resembled one of today’s great apes.
—Andrew Paul, Popular Science, 16 Oct. 2025
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Stephanie Pappas, Scientific American, 19 Nov. 2025
African grey parrots — roughly the size of a pigeon, with sleek grey bodies and crimson tail feathers — are the great apes of the bird world.
—Rene Ebersole, Rolling Stone, 18 Nov. 2025
With their large hands and expressive, doleful faces, the great apes are often depicted as the poster children for experimentation.
—Ava Kofman, New Yorker, 3 Nov. 2025
While these relatives possessed human-like hand proportions, their grip strength more likely resembled one of today’s great apes.
—Andrew Paul, Popular Science, 16 Oct. 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 Nov. 2025.
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