as in shields
technical
a hard shell on the back of some animals (such as turtles or crabs)
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Recent Examples of carapaces
Time draws these kids osmotically through a membrane, turning them into things like us, adults captured by the brittle carapaces of our egos.
—
Literary Hub, 10 Feb. 2026
Also in the Tuamotus, on the atoll of Tikehau, divers head out to Tuheiava Pass with Tikehau Diving for regular sightings of mantas at a cleaning station (pinnacles that draw large fish to have their gills, teeth, and carapaces cleaned by smaller ones).
—Terry Ward, AFAR Media, 11 Sep. 2025
Literary Hub, 10 Feb. 2026
Also in the Tuamotus, on the atoll of Tikehau, divers head out to Tuheiava Pass with Tikehau Diving for regular sightings of mantas at a cleaning station (pinnacles that draw large fish to have their gills, teeth, and carapaces cleaned by smaller ones).
—Terry Ward, AFAR Media, 11 Sep. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for carapaces
Noun
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Themed collectibles will also be available in honor of the collaboration, with items like Hello Kitty and Friends sticker sets, themed in-game tokens and shields, dice and emojis.—
Payton Turkeltaub,
Variety,
25 Feb. 2026
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Cucumbers and squash plants pair well with peppers because their low growth habit shields the soil from direct sun, prevents weeds, and keeps your soil from drying out too quickly.—
Lauren Landers,
Better Homes & Gardens,
20 Feb. 2026
Noun
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Downstairs, Nighthawk channels retro supper club (skewing towards speakeasy) vibes with late-night plates, cocktails, and live performances, including vinyl DJ sets.—
Condé Nast,
Condé Nast Traveler,
2 Mar. 2026
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Yoakum is a French Laundry alum whose role at Sushi Kozy is to make creative small plates, while Ko continues to handle the fish.—
Sarah Blaskovich,
Dallas Morning News,
1 Mar. 2026
Noun
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The Hopewell had an expansive trade network, indicated by archaeological artifacts made from Great Lakes copper, Rocky Mountain obsidian, shells and pearls from the Gulf of Mexico, Appalachian mica, and shark teeth from the Chesapeake Bay.—
Michael Plummer,
Des Moines Register,
1 Mar. 2026
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These aren’t just shells and hard parts, the typical fare for fossils of this age.—
Hanna Wickes,
Kansas City Star,
27 Feb. 2026
Noun
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Or the hundreds of husks left on the ground, brown, semitransparent, upholding the shape of the life that had once been but was now gone?—
Yiyun Li,
New Yorker,
1 Mar. 2026
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In a food processor, add cannellini beans and squeeze the roasted garlic cloves out of the husks atop the beans.—
Cathy Thomas,
Oc Register,
23 Feb. 2026
Noun
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Several 9mm shell casings were recovered at the scene.—
Harry Harris,
Mercury News,
25 Feb. 2026
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According to the court documents, two gun shell casings were found on the floor in a bedroom.—
Adam Sabes,
FOXNews.com,
24 Feb. 2026
Noun
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Fan dances, the holodeck, decontamination gel, and stripping down to our underwear in shuttle pods.—
Matthew Razak,
Space.com,
28 Feb. 2026
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Like pods, detergent sheets must be stored in a moisture-free environment and can melt when exposed to high heat.—
Jolie Kerr,
Better Homes & Gardens,
27 Feb. 2026
Noun
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This shift enables reactive defense systems, such as satellite hulls that intentionally heat to harden against incoming micrometeorite impacts.—
Mrigakshi Dixit,
Interesting Engineering,
16 Feb. 2026
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Its predecessor, the Gitana 17, launched in 2017 as a hybrid that blended conventional trimaran sailing with foiling, lifting clear off the ocean surface before settling back down on its hulls and rising again.—
Helen Iatrou,
Robb Report,
15 Feb. 2026
Noun
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Nuts and fatty fishes, like salmon and sardines, contain omega-3 fatty acids, which are important for building the insulating sheaths that surround the nerve fibers that carry information from one brain cell to another.—
Dana G. Smith,
New York Times,
6 Jan. 2026
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Taylor, then with her fourth husband Richard Burton, wanted to ditch her formal '50s style of long skirts and tasteful sheaths.—
Liz McNeil,
PEOPLE,
25 Oct. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Carapaces.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/carapaces. Accessed 4 Mar. 2026.
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