Illustration of hermit crab
hermit crab
noun
: any of numerous chiefly marine small decapod crustaceans (especially families Diogenidae, Paguridae, and Parapaguridae) having soft asymmetrical abdomens and occupying the empty shells of gastropods
Examples of hermit crab in a Sentence
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In 2025, they were joined in Fiji by 4-year-old daughter Charlie and almost 2-year-old son Bud, who love creating drawings in mom’s office, hunting for hermit crabs on the beach and feeding fish from the pier.
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Stephanie Petit, PEOPLE, 23 Sep. 2025
Wake up with the distinct call of the Asian koel and walk the silica shores as hermit crabs scuttle by and baby blacktip reef sharks play in the lapping waves.
—Katie Lockhart, Travel + Leisure, 7 Sep. 2025
So just like hermit crabs weighing shell safety against shock, humans are constantly running a cost–benefit analysis, judging whether the potential reward is worth the risk of pain.
—Jonny Thomson, Big Think, 20 Aug. 2025
The analysis revealed that the bolder hermit crabs have more sensilla located on the claw’s surface.
—Laura Baisas, Popular Science, 3 July 2025
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Stephanie Petit, PEOPLE, 23 Sep. 2025
Wake up with the distinct call of the Asian koel and walk the silica shores as hermit crabs scuttle by and baby blacktip reef sharks play in the lapping waves.
—Katie Lockhart, Travel + Leisure, 7 Sep. 2025
So just like hermit crabs weighing shell safety against shock, humans are constantly running a cost–benefit analysis, judging whether the potential reward is worth the risk of pain.
—Jonny Thomson, Big Think, 20 Aug. 2025
The analysis revealed that the bolder hermit crabs have more sensilla located on the claw’s surface.
—Laura Baisas, Popular Science, 3 July 2025
See All Example Sentences for hermit crab
Cite this Entry
“Hermit crab.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/hermit%20crab. Accessed 30 Sep. 2025.
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