woodchuck

wood·chuck | \ ˈwu̇d-ˌchək

How to pronounce woodchuck (audio)

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Definition of woodchuck

: a grizzled thickset marmot (Marmota monax) chiefly of Alaska, Canada, and the northeastern U.S.

— called also groundhog

Examples of woodchuck in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web There were a lot of spots where no animals appeared, although the zoo houses almost 19,000 individuals (including centipedes, armadillos, catfish, giraffes, lions and woodchucks). — Jane Smiley, New York Times, "Jane Smiley on What St. Louis Tells Us About America," 14 Oct. 2019 The Verge decided to ask the tough questions: Did woodchucks specifically target Paul Ryan? — Angela Chen, The Verge, "2018 in weird science, from alien conspiracies to sensory illusions," 23 Dec. 2018 Groundhogs, also known as woodchucks, can grow to about 20 inches in length and can weigh up to 13 pounds. — Jennifer Barrios, Washington Post, "Motorcyclist hurt after collision with groundhog in Montgomery County," 24 June 2018 This is not the first time woodchucks have been caught taking American flags. — Joel Langstein, Fox News, "Woodchucks stole veterans' flags from Massachusetts cemetery, cops say," 19 June 2018 There are all kinds of parables about nature fighting back against evil, but nothing has ever been so explicit as House Speaker Paul Ryan’s recent saga with woodchucks (alias groundhog). — Caitlin Wolper, Teen Vogue, "House Speaker Paul Ryan Says Woodchucks Destroyed His Car," 13 July 2018 There’s a chicken coop that’s been invaded by woodchucks; my mother plays the country game of hide-and-seek armed with animal poison and Havahart traps. — Liz Arnold, Longreads, "Making Peace with the Site of a Suicide," 11 July 2018 Ryan said a family of woodchucks feasted on the Suburban while it was stored at his mother's home in Wisconsin, the Times reported. — Christina Hall, Detroit Free Press, "Reports: Woodchucks feast on House Speaker Paul Ryan's SUV wiring," 12 July 2018 In 2012, woodchucks were suspected of stealing up to 75 flags from Cedar Park Cemetery in Hudson, New York. — Joel Langstein, Fox News, "Woodchucks stole veterans' flags from Massachusetts cemetery, cops say," 19 June 2018

These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'woodchuck.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.

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woodchat shrike

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Last Updated

4 Dec 2019

Cite this Entry

“Woodchuck.” The Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster Inc., https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/woodchucks. Accessed 12 December 2019.

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