grizzly bear

noun

Definition of grizzly bear

: a very large brown bear (Ursus arctos) of northwestern North America

Note: The grizzly bear is the same species as the brown bear, but grizzly bear is typically used for the North American brown bear and not the European or Asian brown bear. In the U.S., grizzly bear is most often used for a brown bear of inland habitats (as in Montana and western Canada) that is typically smaller than coastal brown bears and usually has lighter-colored tips on the fur. The grizzly bear is often considered a subspecies (Ursus arctos horribilis) of the brown bear and, especially formerly, a separate species (Ursus horribilis).

The brown bears of Kodiak Island, the grizzly bears of the Rocky Mountains and interior Alaska, the European brown bear, all are now considered to be the same species, Ursus arctos, despite tremendous variation in color, size, and habits. — Natural History

— called also grizzly

Examples of grizzly bear in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web The animal is a hybrid created by the mating of a grizzly bear and a polar bear — a pairing scientists found could be happening more often due to climate change. — Stephanie Wenger, PEOPLE.com, 8 June 2022 Is it being stalked by a mountain lion or chased by a grizzly bear? — Frederick Dreier, Outside Online, 28 Apr. 2022 Two Idaho men have been sentenced to jail time and banned from hunting for years after pleading guilty to poaching a grizzly bear near Yellowstone National Park. — CBS News, 23 Apr. 2022 Two men have been sentenced to jail time and banned from hunting for years after pleading guilty to poaching a grizzly bear near Yellowstone National Park. — From Usa Today Network And Wire Reports, USA TODAY, 22 Apr. 2022 The body of a Montana man, who appears to have died after being attacked by a grizzly bear, has been found by search and rescue teams. — NBC News, 27 Mar. 2022 No details were provided on where he was found or why a grizzly bear was believed responsible for his death. — Matthew Brown, BostonGlobe.com, 27 Mar. 2022 When a wildlife official from anywhere in the American West, Alaska, or Canada has a nuisance grizzly bear and wants to avoid euthanizing it, the GWDC is often near the top of their call list. — Emma Walker, Outside Online, 9 Oct. 2020 The couple enjoyed a date night on top of a glacier and even had an encounter with a grizzly bear in the remote area, which had no cell service or wi-fi. — Jessica Sager, PEOPLE.com, 21 Apr. 2022 See More

These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'grizzly bear.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.