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

This proposal will set grizzly bear recovery back by decades. — Washington Post, "Amid debate, Wyoming approves Yellowstone-area grizzly hunt," 23 May 2018 He also was ordered to pay $2,600 in restitution for the killing of two grizzly bears. — Dan Joling, The Seattle Times, "Alaska guide pleads guilty to herding bears toward clients," 8 Jan. 2019 State officials have conducted extensive predator control, exterminating wolves, black bears and grizzly bears, to increase populations of moose, caribou and deer. — Dan Joling, The Seattle Times, "Zinke seeks more state wildlife management on federal lands," 11 Sep. 2018 Judge restores protections for grizzly bears, blocking hunts. MINDING YOUR BUSINESS Fed expected to raise interest rates again as hiring, wages grow. — Fox News, "FOX NEWS FIRST: Kavanaugh vows to continue to fight in FOX exclusive; Trump, Republicans blast Dem smear campaign," 25 Sep. 2018 The ruling marks a victory for wildlife advocates and Native American tribes that sued when the Interior Department last year revoked federal protections for more than 700 grizzly bears living in and around Yellowstone National Park. — Matthew Brown, The Seattle Times, "Judge restores protections for grizzly bears, blocking hunts," 24 Sep. 2018 The Chilko Valley is also home to 100 grizzly bears during the fall sockeye salmon run when visitors can enjoy watching and photographing the grizzlies from the safety of a boat. — Phil Marty, chicagotribune.com, "A luxe escape for nature lovers, help for travelers with physical disabilities and more," 14 June 2018 The west side of the loop climbs Mountain Charlie Road, built as a toll road by 19th-century entrepreneur Mountain Charlie McKiernan, known for a silver dollar covering a piece of his forehead that a grizzly bear took home. — San Francisco Chronicle, "The 5 best bike rides around Santa Cruz," 11 Apr. 2018 That’s because much remains to be done, to the jaguar and grizzly bear exhibits and to the kiddie playground with its California landmark replicas. — Steve Rubenstein, San Francisco Chronicle, "Oakland Zoo’s puma cubs get comfortable in their soon-to-open exhibit," 6 May 2018

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.