1
: a young dog
also
: one of the young of various animals (such as a seal or rat)
2
Examples of pup in a Sentence
Recent Examples on the Web
The Arizona Republic, 5 Apr. 2024
Diamond started lactating shortly after her sister Erica gave birth and helped her nurse the pups; now the adult dogs are looking for a home together
Two canine sisters are looking for a home of their own after raising a family together.
—Kelli Bender, Peoplemag, 5 Apr. 2024
Now, a friend is doing everything in his power to make sure the pup finds a good and loving home.
—Tj MacIas, Kansas City Star, 4 Apr. 2024
The pups were brought to organization’s Project Wildlife program Wednesday.
—City News Service, San Diego Union-Tribune, 29 Mar. 2024
Around the same time, two other passersby saw the pup and began approaching her.
—Julia Daye, Sacramento Bee, 27 Mar. 2024
Seal pups, inquisitive and playful, are especially drawn to ocean debris, often getting entangled after batting it about.
—Cara Buckley, New York Times, 26 Mar. 2024
Researchers asked 18 dog owners to bring their pups into the lab, along with five objects each dog was familiar with—things like leashes, Frisbees, slippers and toys.
—Sarah Kuta, Smithsonian Magazine, 25 Mar. 2024
During her stay, the 6-year-old pup found comfort in a German shepherd named Maggie.
—Simone Jasper, Miami Herald, 25 Mar. 2024
Karen Garcia, Los Angeles Times, 21 Mar. 2024
The start of spring, a time when outdoor enthusiasts and their furry sidekicks hit the trails, coincides with coyote pupping season and experts say dog owners should take precautions on their next outdoor trek to avoid confrontations with overly protective coyotes.
—Karen Garcia, Los Angeles Times, 21 Mar. 2024
While otters are active in the Morro Bay area year-round, the peak period of pupping is October through January with a secondary peak in March and April.
—Jerry Rice, Orange County Register, 25 Feb. 2024
The otters are active year-round, but when planning your trip be aware that the main pupping season happens October through January with a secondary spike in March and April.
—Jerry Rice, Orange County Register, 25 Feb. 2024
The following spring, in April 2022, the coastal commission implemented an annual seasonal closure from May 1 to October 31 during sea lion pupping season.
—Sarah Kuta, Smithsonian Magazine, 21 Sep. 2023
The Children’s Pool, a small beach partially protected by a seawall, has been closing yearly for harbor seal pupping season from Dec. 15 through May 15 since 2014.
—Emily Alvarenga, San Diego Union-Tribune, 12 Aug. 2023
Incidents were equally common during the spring pupping season and in summer, researchers said.
—Vanessa Arredondo, Los Angeles Times, 9 June 2023
To prove her point, Romano introduces Alvin and Louie to three dogs of various ages and sizes to see which pup the pair bonds with most.
—Kelli Bender, Peoplemag, 22 Aug. 2022
Noun
Wandering the streets of Phoenix, this sweet pup was found with an extremely injured eye that was beyond saving.
—The Arizona Republic, 5 Apr. 2024
Diamond started lactating shortly after her sister Erica gave birth and helped her nurse the pups; now the adult dogs are looking for a home together
Two canine sisters are looking for a home of their own after raising a family together.
—Kelli Bender, Peoplemag, 5 Apr. 2024
Now, a friend is doing everything in his power to make sure the pup finds a good and loving home.
—Tj MacIas, Kansas City Star, 4 Apr. 2024
The pups were brought to organization’s Project Wildlife program Wednesday.
—City News Service, San Diego Union-Tribune, 29 Mar. 2024
Around the same time, two other passersby saw the pup and began approaching her.
—Julia Daye, Sacramento Bee, 27 Mar. 2024
Seal pups, inquisitive and playful, are especially drawn to ocean debris, often getting entangled after batting it about.
—Cara Buckley, New York Times, 26 Mar. 2024
Researchers asked 18 dog owners to bring their pups into the lab, along with five objects each dog was familiar with—things like leashes, Frisbees, slippers and toys.
—Sarah Kuta, Smithsonian Magazine, 25 Mar. 2024
During her stay, the 6-year-old pup found comfort in a German shepherd named Maggie.
—Simone Jasper, Miami Herald, 25 Mar. 2024
Verb
Coyote pupping season stretches from the time when coyotes give birth to when the pups become juveniles and leave their parents, said Niamh Quinn, human-wildlife interactions advisor for the University of California Agriculture and Natural Resources.
—Karen Garcia, Los Angeles Times, 21 Mar. 2024
The start of spring, a time when outdoor enthusiasts and their furry sidekicks hit the trails, coincides with coyote pupping season and experts say dog owners should take precautions on their next outdoor trek to avoid confrontations with overly protective coyotes.
—Karen Garcia, Los Angeles Times, 21 Mar. 2024
While otters are active in the Morro Bay area year-round, the peak period of pupping is October through January with a secondary peak in March and April.
—Jerry Rice, Orange County Register, 25 Feb. 2024
The otters are active year-round, but when planning your trip be aware that the main pupping season happens October through January with a secondary spike in March and April.
—Jerry Rice, Orange County Register, 25 Feb. 2024
The following spring, in April 2022, the coastal commission implemented an annual seasonal closure from May 1 to October 31 during sea lion pupping season.
—Sarah Kuta, Smithsonian Magazine, 21 Sep. 2023
The Children’s Pool, a small beach partially protected by a seawall, has been closing yearly for harbor seal pupping season from Dec. 15 through May 15 since 2014.
—Emily Alvarenga, San Diego Union-Tribune, 12 Aug. 2023
Incidents were equally common during the spring pupping season and in summer, researchers said.
—Vanessa Arredondo, Los Angeles Times, 9 June 2023
To prove her point, Romano introduces Alvin and Louie to three dogs of various ages and sizes to see which pup the pair bonds with most.
—Kelli Bender, Peoplemag, 22 Aug. 2022
These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'pup.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.
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Cite this Entry
“Pup.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/pup. Accessed 16 Apr. 2024.
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Kids Definition
pup
nounˈpəp
: puppy
also
: one of the young of various animals (as a seal or rat)
More from Merriam-Webster on pup
Thesaurus: All synonyms and antonyms for pup
Nglish: Translation of pup for Spanish Speakers
Britannica English: Translation of pup for Arabic Speakers
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