elephant

noun

ˈe-lə-fənt How to pronounce elephant (audio)
Definition of elephantnext
as in whale
something or someone that is unusually large and powerful by any standard, the new shopping mall will be an elephant and one that is certain to alter the retail landscape

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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 elephant In this week's installment of Far-Flung Postcards, NPR's Diaa Hadid visits the Hurulu Eco Park in Sri Lanka, where elephants roam freely. — Brittney Melton, NPR, 7 Aug. 2026 The elephants will be under 24/7 security and were already attracting thousands of onlookers before the exhibition officially opened. — Brandon Truitt, CBS News, 6 Aug. 2026 In a 40-day period, researchers documented more than 40,000 animals – including elephants, primates, and big cats – using a single such underpass, which extended their feeding and breeding range while reducing potential conflict with humans. — The Christian Science Monitor, Christian Science Monitor, 6 Aug. 2026 Then we are reminded of the elephant — or in this case, rat — in the room. — Austin Perry Outkick, FOXNews.com, 5 Aug. 2026 See All Example Sentences for elephant
Recent Examples of Synonyms for elephant
  1. whale
  2. giant
  3. dinosaur
  4. monster
  5. mammoth
Noun
  • Musicians are dwarfed inside its massive ribs, as if performing from the belly of a whale.
    — David Allen, Daily News, 9 Aug. 2026
  • Whiskey, salt pork, gunpowder, nails, flour, whale oil, molasses.
    — Jason Snyder, Forbes.com, 8 Aug. 2026
Definition of whale
Noun
  • Matt Koch, the lawns research fellow for gardening giant Scotts Miracle-Gro Company, met recently with the president to discuss planting new grass on the White House’s South Lawn.
    — ABC News, ABC News, 7 Aug. 2026
  • But in terms of sanctions, Beijing has yet to directly target an American tech giant.
    — Simone McCarthy, CNN Money, 7 Aug. 2026
Definition of giant
Noun
  • In the new science-fiction mystery The End of Oak Street, Hathaway stars alongside Ewan McGregor as a couple whose family comes face-to-face with dinosaurs in their neighborhood.
    — Escher Walcott, PEOPLE, 10 Aug. 2026
  • Now the marketing very explicitly features dinosaurs chasing the family, to the point that Starbuck is talking about it and trying to appeal to moms on Facebook who might be among the nearly million followers to this AI feed.
    — Brian Welk, IndieWire, 10 Aug. 2026
Definition of dinosaur
Noun
  • At the same time, Bernadette makes her potion and turns into a 60-foot monster, destroying Pasadena.
    — Michael Schneider, Variety, 7 Aug. 2026
  • Major oil and gas companies around the world posted monster second-quarter profits last week amid the Iran conflict's surge in crude prices.
    — Garrett Downs, CNBC, 7 Aug. 2026
Definition of monster
Noun
  • Woolly mammoths coexisted with early humans who hunted the cold-resistant herbivores for food and used their tusks and bones as tools.
    — CBS News, CBS News, 4 Aug. 2026
  • These results raise some questions about how Ice Age hunter-gatherers interacted with wooly mammoths.
    — Laura Baisas, Popular Science, 30 July 2026
Definition of mammoth

Browse Nearby Words

elements
elephant
elephantine
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Cite this Entry

“Elephant.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/elephant. Accessed 12 Aug. 2026.

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More from Merriam-Webster on elephant

Nglish: Translation of elephant for Spanish Speakers

Britannica.com: Encyclopedia article about elephant

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