variants
also cougar
as in panthers
a large tawny cat of the wild
in many regions, suburban developments have encroached upon the habitat of the cougar
Synonyms & Similar Words
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Recent Examples of cougars
To catch a glimpse of the cougar shadow, head to the vicinity of 13th Avenue and Goldfield Road in Apache Junction.
—
Tiffany Acosta, AZCentral.com, 13 Mar. 2026
Deer hear better than humans, but not nearly as well as predators like cougars, which have large, highly developed auditory bullae.
—Jeff Wilson, Outdoor Life, 11 Mar. 2026
And a cougar attacks in a very different way than a bear does.
—Yvonne Villarreal, Los Angeles Times, 6 Mar. 2026
The competition attendees appear wealthy, and are mostly old and white; the women are characterized as cougars.
—Jess Lander, San Francisco Chronicle, 23 Feb. 2026
Animal exodus Bly Road has long been home to many animals, Hahnfeld and the Hoffs said, including cougars, eagles, owls and deer.
—Kansas City Star, 20 Feb. 2026
In one, a therapist-like figure helps a young man through a question about how to improve communication with his mother—then starts serving him ads for hot cougars in his area.
—Julia Black, Vanity Fair, 8 Feb. 2026
Male cougars are extremely territorial, and two landowners located near each other accounted for nine of the 31 reports.
—CBS News, 29 Jan. 2026
Another cougar was seen in a neighbor’s surveillance camera footage in nearby Sycamore Canyon in Glendale, said Ruby Siehl, urban wildlife research leader with the group.
—Steve Scauzillo, Daily News, 28 Jan. 2026
Tiffany Acosta, AZCentral.com, 13 Mar. 2026
Deer hear better than humans, but not nearly as well as predators like cougars, which have large, highly developed auditory bullae.
—Jeff Wilson, Outdoor Life, 11 Mar. 2026
And a cougar attacks in a very different way than a bear does.
—Yvonne Villarreal, Los Angeles Times, 6 Mar. 2026
The competition attendees appear wealthy, and are mostly old and white; the women are characterized as cougars.
—Jess Lander, San Francisco Chronicle, 23 Feb. 2026
Animal exodus Bly Road has long been home to many animals, Hahnfeld and the Hoffs said, including cougars, eagles, owls and deer.
—Kansas City Star, 20 Feb. 2026
In one, a therapist-like figure helps a young man through a question about how to improve communication with his mother—then starts serving him ads for hot cougars in his area.
—Julia Black, Vanity Fair, 8 Feb. 2026
Male cougars are extremely territorial, and two landowners located near each other accounted for nine of the 31 reports.
—CBS News, 29 Jan. 2026
Another cougar was seen in a neighbor’s surveillance camera footage in nearby Sycamore Canyon in Glendale, said Ruby Siehl, urban wildlife research leader with the group.
—Steve Scauzillo, Daily News, 28 Jan. 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for cougars
panthers
Noun
-
Our manatees, panthers, bears and countless other species rely on healthy ecosystems to survive, ecosystems that are shrinking daily due to human encroachment and legislative negligence.—
Letters to the Editor,
The Orlando Sentinel,
11 Feb. 2026
-
Falco knew about its lore, how a panther once stalked the community for months.—
Stephen M. Deusner,
Pitchfork,
8 Feb. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Cougars.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/cougars. Accessed 1 Apr. 2026.
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