beetles 1 of 2

verb

present tense third-person singular of beetle
as in protrudes
to extend outward beyond a usual point houses in the town commonly have second stories that beetle over the ground floors, and the overhang is known as a "bump"

Synonyms & Similar Words

Relevance

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

beetles

2 of 2

noun

plural of beetle
as in hammers

Related Words

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 beetles
Noun
These small beetles are sometimes confused with ladybeetles (which feed on bean beetle eggs), thanks to their similar shape and black spots. — Kim Toscano, Southern Living, 16 Apr. 2026 What are Asian lady beetles Harmonia axyridis, also known as the Asian lady beetle, is a relatively new arrival to this country. — Jordan Green, Nashville Tennessean, 19 Sep. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for beetles
  1. protrudes
  2. bats
  3. pokes
  4. canes
  5. bulges
  6. sledgehammers
  7. stands out
  8. billy clubs
Verb
  • These are more likely to cause painless rectal bleeding or tissue that protrudes during a bowel movement.
    — Tom Gavin, EverydayHealth.com, 29 Apr. 2026
  • Part of it protrudes from the exterior, with natural airflow helping keep the food inside chilled.
    — Adam Williams March 29, New Atlas, 29 Mar. 2026
Definition of protrudes
Noun
  • The bats coming alive late on Saturday were a good sign of that.
    — Marisa Ingemi, Los Angeles Times, 2 Aug. 2026
  • Ceddanne Rafaela, in the midst of a career-best year at the plate, clocked solo homers off Yoshinobu Yamamoto in consecutive at-bats, and Payton Tolle gutted through six innings against one of the top offenses in baseball.
    — Jen McCaffrey, New York Times, 2 Aug. 2026
Definition of bats
Verb
  • Even in the bathrooms, the toilet and bidet are concealed inside a kind of Travertine bench and the showerhead pokes out from a monolithic stone slab.
    — Condé Nast, Condé Nast Traveler, 4 Aug. 2026
  • This is strong language, which pokes at our tribal memory of gasoline shortages from the 1970’s.
    — George Calhoun, Forbes.com, 31 July 2026
Definition of pokes
Noun
  • Victim 2, who is a Miami-Dade Fire Rescue employee according to the New York Times, was repeatedly struck with canes and paddles and bled through his underwear and pants because of lacerations to his buttocks, according to the warrant.
    — Verónica Egui Brito, Miami Herald, 29 July 2026
  • At the base, blueberry shrubs have multiple canes (or branches) that grow directly out of the earth in clumps.
    — Michele Laufik, Martha Stewart, 28 July 2026
Definition of canes
Verb
  • According to the National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke (NINDS), a brain aneurysm is a weakened area in an artery that bulges outward and fills with blood.
    — Lucy Notarantonio, MSNBC Newsweek, 27 Oct. 2025
Definition of bulges
Noun
  • Venezuelan rescuers often relied on sledgehammers, pickaxes and shovels because hydraulic rescue equipment and heavy machinery were unavailable.
    — Antonio María Delgado, Miami Herald, 23 July 2026
  • Demonstrators wearing masks tore bricks from the walls outside homes and smashed sidewalks with sledgehammers to toss at riot police.
    — CBS News, CBS News, 11 June 2026
Definition of sledgehammers
Verb
  • But even for a president who raked in $2 billion, fueled mostly by his lucrative cryptocurrency ventures, the latest offering from his social media platform, Truth Social, stands out.
    — Bobby Allyn, NPR, 1 Aug. 2026
  • In the middle of this familiar matrix, Kozue’s offbeat behavior stands out, creating initially intriguing situations and contrasts.
    — Elena Lazic, Variety, 25 July 2026
Definition of stands out
Noun
  • After about a minute and half, Mauldin said, police began to attack the demonstrators with billy clubs.
    — Maya Miller, ProPublica, 15 May 2026
  • Mayhem erupted when the strikers were attacked with tear gas and billy clubs.
    — Heller McAlpin, Christian Science Monitor, 3 June 2025
Definition of billy clubs

Browse Nearby Words

beetled
beetles
beetling
See all Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Beetles.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/beetles. Accessed 7 Aug. 2026.

Copy Citation

More from Merriam-Webster on beetles

Nglish: Translation of beetles for Spanish Speakers

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!

More from Merriam-Webster

Word of the Day

Listen to the pronunciation of invidious

See Definitions and Examples »

Popular in Grammar & Usage

See More

7 Pairs of Commonly Confused Words

Merriam-Webster’s Great Big List of Words You Love to Hate

Is it 'nerve-racking' or 'nerve-wracking'?

'Sneaked' or 'Snuck': Which is correct?

Why does English have so many silent letters?
See More

Popular in Wordplay

See More

The Longest Long Words List

It's a Scorcher! Words for the Summer Heat

14 Phobias You Probably Haven't Heard Of

The Words of the Week - Aug. 7

How long is a jiffy?
See More

Popular

See More

7 Pairs of Commonly Confused Words

The Longest Long Words List

It's a Scorcher! Words for the Summer Heat
See More

Games & Quizzes

See All
Play Quordle: Guess all four words in a limited number of tries. Each of your guesses must be a real 5-letter word.
Quordle Can you solve 4 words at once?
Play Blossom: Solve today's spelling word game by finding as many words as you can using just 7 letters. Longer words score more points.
Blossom Pick the best words!
Play Missing Letter: a crossword with a twist. Each of the 25 puzzle words start with a different letter of the alphabet. Which letter is missing?
The Missing Letter A daily crossword with a twist
fridge-magnet-letters
Drop a Letter Quiz August 2026 Drop a letter from a word to make a totally diffe...
See All