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

Synonyms & Similar Words

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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 The elephants were named after his children, Prince Archie and Princess Lilibet. — Juliana Ukiomogbe, InStyle, 17 Aug. 2026 Instead, the fund’s proceeds will go to Elephants Without Borders, an environmental organization based in Botswana dedicated to protecting elephants. — Diego Parrado, Vanity Fair, 16 Aug. 2026 Though researchers have observed evidence of humans hunting large megafauna in later periods, the discovery suggests that early humans processed elephant carcasses more systematically. — Andrea Margolis, FOXNews.com, 14 Aug. 2026 In fact, a bunch of JJ’s favorite animals come to life, including a rabbit and an elephant, to help clean the bus. — Parents, 14 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
  • His job included photographing whale tails to identify individual animals and monitor their movements.
    — Sarah Kingdom, Forbes.com, 23 Aug. 2026
  • The three whales relocated to San Diego will raise the park’s number of belugas to six.
    — Lori Weisberg, San Diego Union-Tribune, 22 Aug. 2026
Definition of whale
Noun
  • An increasing number of investors are paying attention to how tech giants are relying more heavily on debt financing to fund their AI expansion.
    — , CNBC, 28 Aug. 2026
  • The most rewarding part has been witnessing the power of Manoj and Boman – two giants of cinema – working together for the first time in this film.
    — Naman Ramachandran, Variety, 27 Aug. 2026
Definition of giant
Noun
  • Hathaway plays a suburban mom whose neighborhood is suddenly and mysteriously transported from 1982 to prehistoric times, putting family and neighbors at the mercy of hungry dinosaurs.
    — The Week US, TheWeek, 23 Aug. 2026
  • The real end of Oak Street comes not from the feet and chompers of the dinosaurs but from a moviemaker who revives the idyllic 1980s only to desecrate them with wokeness.
    — Peter Tonguette, The Washington Examiner, 22 Aug. 2026
Definition of dinosaur
Noun
  • Trying to clear his name, Eddie Brock is hunted by a monster sent by the creator of the symbiotes, only to uncover a secret operation in Area 51 to harvest the creatures and exploit them.
    — K. Thor Jensen, PC Magazine, 21 Aug. 2026
  • The league is hurtling toward an ugly lockout, with owners preparing to cry poverty and demand a hard salary cap to stop the spending monster in Southern California.
    — Dieter Kurtenbach, Mercury News, 19 Aug. 2026
Definition of monster
Noun
  • The site preserves the remains of Columbian mammoths and offers a look at Ice Age life in Texas.
    — Brandi D. Addison, USA Today, 17 Aug. 2026
  • 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
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 30 Aug. 2026.

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More from Merriam-Webster on elephant

Britannica.com: Encyclopedia article about elephant

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