variants
also dwarves
1
as in diminutives
a living thing much smaller than others of its kind
Shetland ponies are the dwarfs of the horse world
Synonyms & Similar Words
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in elves
an imaginary being usually having a small human form and magical powers
Snow White and the seven dwarfs
Synonyms & Similar Words
3
as in nobodies
a person of no importance or influence
it would be ridiculous to compare the two sculptors—one's a giant of the art world and the other's a dwarf
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
as in suppresses
to hold back the normal growth of
shrubs dwarfed by the lack of water
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of dwarfs
Bill Shaikin, Los Angeles Times, 27 Mar. 2026
Beyond rock and ice The finding of L 98-59 d challenges the long-standing astronomical belief that small exoplanets must be either gas dwarfs or water worlds covered in ice and oceans.
—Mrigakshi Dixit, Interesting Engineering, 16 Mar. 2026
At scale, this dwarfs data center optimization gains.
—Arjun Sharma, IEEE Spectrum, 17 Feb. 2026
The ditch that’s up to 19 feet deep dwarfs the heavy machinery inside of it.
—Eleanor Nash, Kansas City Star, 26 Jan. 2026
Plus Brock and Sindri, the gear upgrade dwarves.
—Paul Tassi, Forbes.com, 22 Jan. 2026
Iran has a grim history of crushing dissent, but the latest crackdown dwarfs anything seen during the repressive Islamic theocracy’s 47 years in power, evidence trickling out of Iran suggests.
—Alexander Smith, NBC news, 16 Jan. 2026
By 1938, the troupe of dwarves had begun to spend its winters in South Florida.
—Miami Herald Archives, Miami Herald, 25 Dec. 2025
As kobolds go, Heinzelmann was more harmless than most, going about his business protecting the castle from giants and dwarves and keeping the staff updated on faerie gossip, as well as protecting the chambermaids from unwelcome attentions from visiting noblemen.
—Literary Hub, 27 Oct. 2025
Matthew Kelly, Kansas City Star, 28 Mar. 2026
But men are falling off at a rate that dwarfs women’s decline.
—Catherina Gioino, Fortune, 28 Mar. 2026
The People’s Liberation Army already dwarfs the Republic of China Armed Forces in both manpower and resources.
—Timothy Nerozzi, The Washington Examiner, 13 Mar. 2026
Network television still commands an audience scale that dwarfs most niche streaming platforms, and the CEO was candid that the crossover offered talent a chance to perform on broadcast TV while introducing the service to viewers who might otherwise never encounter it.
—Alison Foreman, IndieWire, 3 Mar. 2026
Conservatives have also built a media ecosystem that dwarfs Democratic messaging.
—Charles Duhigg, New Yorker, 26 Jan. 2026
Treat income as the leverage point The return on improving your skills, expanding your scope, building new earning streams, or stepping into higher-impact roles dwarfs the difference between a 6% or 8% market return.
—Sahil Bloom, CNBC, 24 Jan. 2026
The scale of the fraud in Minnesota dwarfs the roughly $100 million welfare scandal that rocked Mississippi from 2016 to 2019, embroiling former NFL quarterback Brett Favre in a civil lawsuit and sullying the state’s reputation for oversight.
—The Denver Post Editorial Board, Denver Post, 20 Jan. 2026
The magnitude of those gains dwarfs what the bottom 50% of households — the majority of the country — received during the same period.
—Josh Boak, Los Angeles Times, 20 Jan. 2026
Noun
The Dodgers’ $850-million annual revenue dwarfs competitors like the Diamondbacks at $324 million, exemplifying the financial gulf driving owners’ desire for cost controls.
—Bill Shaikin, Los Angeles Times, 27 Mar. 2026
Beyond rock and ice The finding of L 98-59 d challenges the long-standing astronomical belief that small exoplanets must be either gas dwarfs or water worlds covered in ice and oceans.
—Mrigakshi Dixit, Interesting Engineering, 16 Mar. 2026
At scale, this dwarfs data center optimization gains.
—Arjun Sharma, IEEE Spectrum, 17 Feb. 2026
The ditch that’s up to 19 feet deep dwarfs the heavy machinery inside of it.
—Eleanor Nash, Kansas City Star, 26 Jan. 2026
Plus Brock and Sindri, the gear upgrade dwarves.
—Paul Tassi, Forbes.com, 22 Jan. 2026
Iran has a grim history of crushing dissent, but the latest crackdown dwarfs anything seen during the repressive Islamic theocracy’s 47 years in power, evidence trickling out of Iran suggests.
—Alexander Smith, NBC news, 16 Jan. 2026
By 1938, the troupe of dwarves had begun to spend its winters in South Florida.
—Miami Herald Archives, Miami Herald, 25 Dec. 2025
As kobolds go, Heinzelmann was more harmless than most, going about his business protecting the castle from giants and dwarves and keeping the staff updated on faerie gossip, as well as protecting the chambermaids from unwelcome attentions from visiting noblemen.
—Literary Hub, 27 Oct. 2025
Verb
In scope, the planned stadium development dwarfs the 23 other projects Kansas has realized through its STAR bond program since 1999.
—Matthew Kelly, Kansas City Star, 28 Mar. 2026
But men are falling off at a rate that dwarfs women’s decline.
—Catherina Gioino, Fortune, 28 Mar. 2026
The People’s Liberation Army already dwarfs the Republic of China Armed Forces in both manpower and resources.
—Timothy Nerozzi, The Washington Examiner, 13 Mar. 2026
Network television still commands an audience scale that dwarfs most niche streaming platforms, and the CEO was candid that the crossover offered talent a chance to perform on broadcast TV while introducing the service to viewers who might otherwise never encounter it.
—Alison Foreman, IndieWire, 3 Mar. 2026
Conservatives have also built a media ecosystem that dwarfs Democratic messaging.
—Charles Duhigg, New Yorker, 26 Jan. 2026
Treat income as the leverage point The return on improving your skills, expanding your scope, building new earning streams, or stepping into higher-impact roles dwarfs the difference between a 6% or 8% market return.
—Sahil Bloom, CNBC, 24 Jan. 2026
The scale of the fraud in Minnesota dwarfs the roughly $100 million welfare scandal that rocked Mississippi from 2016 to 2019, embroiling former NFL quarterback Brett Favre in a civil lawsuit and sullying the state’s reputation for oversight.
—The Denver Post Editorial Board, Denver Post, 20 Jan. 2026
The magnitude of those gains dwarfs what the bottom 50% of households — the majority of the country — received during the same period.
—Josh Boak, Los Angeles Times, 20 Jan. 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for dwarfs
Noun
-
The puckish figure draws heavily on Nordic fairy tales, including stories of elves.—
Jasmin Malik Chua,
Sourcing Journal,
24 Mar. 2026
-
Not as great of a kids’ parade as the one at Christmas with elves and Santa Claus and toys and snowmen.—
David McGrath,
Chicago Tribune,
13 Mar. 2026
Noun
-
Seattle’s John Schneider and New England’s Eliot Wolf rose up from young nobodies to graduate from Green Bay Packers University, too.—
Dave Hyde,
Sun Sentinel,
7 Feb. 2026
-
Where else could award winning writers pop off about nothing at all, and nobodies could rattle the ivory towers?—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
17 Nov. 2025
Verb
-
Blue light from screens suppresses melatonin by up to 80%, delaying sleep onset when viewed within an hour of bedtime and fragmenting deep sleep.—
John La Puma,
Oc Register,
26 Mar. 2026
-
Blue light suppresses melatonin and makes falling back asleep significantly harder.—
Allison Palmer,
Miami Herald,
23 Mar. 2026
Noun
-
From midgets to Indy cars, from sprint cars to stock cars, Stewart was at home behind the wheel.—
Edgar Thompson,
The Orlando Sentinel,
12 Feb. 2026
Noun
-
The exhibit was first conceived in 2018 by Tracy Micciche, the gardens’ events and marketing director, because her daughter, then 14, had an interest in fairies.—
Patrick Connolly,
The Orlando Sentinel,
25 Mar. 2026
-
According to the History Channel, one legend claims wearing green makes a person invisible to leprechauns — red-bearded fairies that would pinch people who weren’t wearing the color.—
Alexis Simmerman,
Austin American Statesman,
17 Mar. 2026
Verb
-
Global oil prices have spiked as Iran halts traffic through the narrow Strait of Hormuz, where one-fifth of the world’s oil typically passes through from the Persian Gulf to customers worldwide.—
Raf Sanchez,
NBC news,
19 Mar. 2026
-
Debt consolidation does not carry a legal mechanism that immediately halts wage garnishment the way bankruptcy does, at least not in most forms.—
Angelica Leicht,
CBS News,
17 Mar. 2026
Noun
-
This one just happens to involve wizards, goblins, and one savage, half-blind dragon.—
Séamas O'Reilly,
Vulture,
26 Mar. 2026
-
Henson was cast as Hoggle, one of the film’s most prominent goblins and Sarah’s reluctant ally, while also managing puppeteering responsibilities behind the scenes.—
Tereza Shkurtaj,
PEOPLE,
10 Jan. 2026
Noun
-
In the lightweights, Cash McClurg (108 pounds) and Emilio Escobar (120) won titles, the latter winning 21-5 for a technical fall.—
Breven Honda,
San Diego Union-Tribune,
15 Feb. 2026
-
Hughes is one of the world's top lightweights in MMA, the sport where McGregor built his following and name.—
Brian Mazique,
Forbes.com,
19 Sep. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Dwarfs.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/dwarfs. Accessed 3 Apr. 2026.
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