whale shark
noun
: a shark (Rhincodon typus) of warm waters that has small teeth, feeds chiefly on plankton strained by its gill rakers, may sometimes attain a length of up to 60 feet (18.3 meters), and is the largest known fish
Examples of whale shark in a Sentence
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Put together, the data Fortune and her colleagues collected suggested that the killer whales, fearsome predators able to take on great whites and whale sharks several times their size, were essentially using the dolphins as scouts.
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Katie Hunt, CNN Money, 15 Dec. 2025
Orcas are such adept hunters, in fact, that they've even been spotted taking down the whale shark, the world's largest fish, as well as great whites.
—New Atlas, 12 Dec. 2025
The world’s oceans are home to an exquisite variety of sharks and rays, from the largest fishes in the sea – the majestic whale shark and manta rays – to the luminescent but rarely seen deep-water lantern shark and guitarfishes.
—Gareth J. Fraser, The Conversation, 12 Dec. 2025
Other iconic marine animals, including whale sharks, oceanic whitetip sharks and manta rays, were also added to a list that bans all the commercial trade of their species or by-products.
—Claire Cameron, Scientific American, 1 Dec. 2025
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Katie Hunt, CNN Money, 15 Dec. 2025
Orcas are such adept hunters, in fact, that they've even been spotted taking down the whale shark, the world's largest fish, as well as great whites.
—New Atlas, 12 Dec. 2025
The world’s oceans are home to an exquisite variety of sharks and rays, from the largest fishes in the sea – the majestic whale shark and manta rays – to the luminescent but rarely seen deep-water lantern shark and guitarfishes.
—Gareth J. Fraser, The Conversation, 12 Dec. 2025
Other iconic marine animals, including whale sharks, oceanic whitetip sharks and manta rays, were also added to a list that bans all the commercial trade of their species or by-products.
—Claire Cameron, Scientific American, 1 Dec. 2025
See All Example Sentences for whale shark
Cite this Entry
“Whale shark.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/whale%20shark. Accessed 17 Dec. 2025.
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