starfish
noun
star·fish
ˈstär-ˌfish 
: any of a class (Asteroidea) of echinoderms that have a body of usually five arms radially arranged about a central disk and feed largely on mollusks (such as oysters)
called also sea star
Examples of starfish in a Sentence
Recent Examples on the Web
The geyser was named after mineralogist Albert Charles Peale visited the geyser in 1878 and thought the rocks surrounding it resembled sea urchins, a group of animals that also contain starfish, brittle stars and sand dollars.
—
Julia Jacobo, ABC News, 3 Mar. 2026
Lilian saw that Hazel did not join the children in photographing the starfish.
—Yiyun Li, New Yorker, 1 Mar. 2026
Where a good firm stone would help the snail push back against the starfish and right herself again, the sand would slither out from under or close over her; and the starfish would bear down, extruding its stomach to engulf her, its digestive juices dissolving her alive.
—Literary Hub, 23 Feb. 2026
Rooms come with Botanist & The Chemist toiletries, miniature fluffy robes, a signature purple starfish soft toy, and copious sweet treats, from white chocolate caryatids to cones of M&M’s.
—Jemima Sissons, Condé Nast Traveler, 8 Jan. 2026
See All Example Sentences for starfish
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to
show current usage.
Read More
Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors.
Send us feedback.
Julia Jacobo, ABC News, 3 Mar. 2026
Lilian saw that Hazel did not join the children in photographing the starfish.
—Yiyun Li, New Yorker, 1 Mar. 2026
Where a good firm stone would help the snail push back against the starfish and right herself again, the sand would slither out from under or close over her; and the starfish would bear down, extruding its stomach to engulf her, its digestive juices dissolving her alive.
—Literary Hub, 23 Feb. 2026
Rooms come with Botanist & The Chemist toiletries, miniature fluffy robes, a signature purple starfish soft toy, and copious sweet treats, from white chocolate caryatids to cones of M&M’s.
—Jemima Sissons, Condé Nast Traveler, 8 Jan. 2026
See All Example Sentences for starfish
Cite this Entry
“Starfish.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/starfish. Accessed 9 Mar. 2026.
Copy CitationKids Definition
starfish
noun
star·fish
ˈstär-ˌfish
: any of a class of echinoderms that have five arms arranged evenly around a central disk and feed largely on mollusks (as oysters)
Love words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
