beaks

plural of beak
1
as in mandibles
the jaws of a bird together with their hornlike covering the bird cracked the walnut shell with its beak and ate its nut

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2
as in noses
the part of the face bearing the nostrils and nasal cavity the man's prominent beak gives him a somewhat aquiline appearance

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3
as in judges
chiefly British a public official having authority to decide questions of law received a stiff sentence from one of the harshest beaks in all of London

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Example Sentences

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.
Recent Examples of beaks The eagles fuss obsessively with their habitat, waddling around on their huge, scaly reptilian feet, moving sticks to and fro with their bony beaks. Alex Ross, New Yorker, 24 Aug. 2026 One suggestion is to get a plastic keyboard cover to keep their beaks away from the keys themselves (although, as many in the thread also point out, parrots are smart enough to just take that cover off to get to the sweet, sweet keys underneath). John Higgins, The Verge, 18 Aug. 2026 Scientists have also found giant squid beaks (its biting apparatus) in sperm whale stomachs. Laura Baisas, Popular Science, 13 Aug. 2026 For instance, Puerto Rican anole lizards have developed longer limbs and larger toe pads for city life, and house finches show adapted beaks. Scott Travers, Forbes.com, 30 June 2026 The birds use their beaks to scoop up whatever comes their way. John Lauritsen, CBS News, 25 June 2026 The birds unhinged their beaks as if to make a loud sound. Literary Hub, 14 May 2026 These long, narrow flowers match the shape of the birds’ slender beaks and extendable tongues. Erica Browne Grivas, Better Homes & Gardens, 12 May 2026 The Giant Octopus Fossil That Unlocked Everything The discovery is based on giant octopus fossil evidence — specifically, fossilized beaks (jaws), which are the only hard parts of an octopus’s body and the only parts likely to survive over millions of years. Ryan Brennan, Kansas City Star, 24 Apr. 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for beaks
Noun
  • So, the bad taste that’s left in their mouths are the issues that came with you from Houston on top of coming here to Cleveland.
    Scott Thompson OutKick, FOXNews.com, 1 Sep. 2026
  • In a satiric short video, Rabid Dogs, 2002, for example, white-collar workers dress upas rapacious canines, clutching Burberry bags in their mouths and traversing cubicles on all fours.
    Pablo Larios, Artforum, 1 Sep. 2026
Noun
  • Now the smell has gone, unforgotten by elderly noses but irretrievably extinct.
    Isaac Chotiner, New Yorker, 3 Sep. 2026
  • Machines meant to begin giving the shells perfectly smooth noses would, instead, mangle them into swirls that looked like soft-serve ice cream.
    ProPublica, ProPublica, 26 Aug. 2026
Noun
  • Usually, that would mean that Naheim, Joseph, and Bryan would all be going home — but the judges decide, in another twist, to bring a fourth designer to the finale.
    Rafaela Bassili, Vulture, 4 Sep. 2026
  • There is no way of knowing whether other district court judges will rule, as Valenzuela did, on the question of funding connected to Title IX.
    Sharon Bernstein, Sacbee.com, 3 Sep. 2026
Noun
  • The species is distinguished by relatively large ears and broad snouts covered with fine hairs.
    Devoun Cetoute, Miami Herald, 16 Aug. 2026
  • Halligan said breeds with short snouts like Bulldogs, Bullmastiffs and Pekingese pups are at greater risk, so are overweight animals and dogs with dark fur.
    Kara Finnstrom, CBS News, 13 Aug. 2026
Noun
  • At the time of his death, Villegas González had been seeking full custody of his children in the Idaho courts because their mother had moved to the state about four years ago, the family said.
    Laura Rodríguez Presa, Chicago Tribune, 6 Sep. 2026
  • Look beyond the police, and the whole criminal justice system – prisons, the courts and probation service – is poorly run, and often in crisis.
    The Week UK, TheWeek, 5 Sep. 2026
Noun
  • Poetry on board On a visit to one of the boat schools this summer, 27 students sat on benches and recited Bangla poetry with their teacher.
    Ali Asif Shawon, NPR, 5 Sep. 2026
  • The Wood Chucks woodworking group has created benches and plant markers for the paths, among other projects.
    Erickson Senior Living, Charlotte Observer, 4 Sep. 2026

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Cite this Entry

“Beaks.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/beaks. Accessed 9 Sep. 2026.

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