toothier; toothiest
1
: having or showing prominent teeth
toothy grin
2
toothily adverb

Examples of toothy in a Sentence

a selection of gourmet cookies and other toothy delights
Recent Examples on the Web The toothy reptiles were originally kept at a crocodile farm in Maoming, in the southern province of Guangdong. Chris Lau, CNN, 12 Sep. 2023 But fisheries managers on the Snake River see the toothy predator as a scourge — one whose menace is ever growing as the warm-water species continues to move upstream and deeper into salmon and steelhead territory. oregonlive, 27 Aug. 2023 There sharks in a diverse assemblage swim along a major drug-smuggling throughway, which potentially exposes the toothy predators to floating bundles of narcotics. Jack Tamisiea, Scientific American, 26 July 2023 Hunters captured the animals and sold their toothy snouts, and sawfish became entangled in fishing nets. Carlyn Kranking, Smithsonian Magazine, 17 July 2023 Five people were bitten by the toothy predators in just two days around July 4th on New York’s Long Island; now videos have surfaced showing a shark attacking and killing a seal in Massachusetts has prompted authorities to close some beaches near Nantucket Island. Outdoor Life, 12 July 2023 For Charlotte's eighth birthday portrait, released last May, the young princess showed off a toothy grin while sitting on a white rattan chair, dressed a white ruffled blouse embroidered with tiny blue and pink flowers. Quinci Legardye, Harper's BAZAAR, 21 July 2023 Southern resident orcas, known for their distinct toothy grins and black-and-white marbled body, are lately sporting large, gray patches and other types of discoloration with skin lesions. Elizabeth Gamillo, Discover Magazine, 6 July 2023 In between wide, toothy smiles and steely-eyed glares, the high-profile transfer from Alabama promised big things for himself and a talented group littered with new faces and up-and-coming talent. Joe Freeman, oregonlive, 2 Aug. 2023 See More

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'toothy.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Word History

First Known Use

1530, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Time Traveler
The first known use of toothy was in 1530

Dictionary Entries Near toothy

Cite this Entry

“Toothy.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/toothy. Accessed 1 Oct. 2023.

Kids Definition

toothy

adjective
toothier; toothiest
: having or showing many usually large teeth
a toothy grin
toothily adverb
Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
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