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
Relevance
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
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
Wooden tools rarely survive so long; the same archeological site contained 2,000 stone tools, along with elephant bones and other animal remains, but just two wooden implements.
—
Tom Chivers, semafor.com, 27 Jan. 2026
There’s the friendly, dignified matriarch who’s lived in the same house for decades (Mai Thai, the Asian elephant).
—Dan Horn, Cincinnati Enquirer, 25 Jan. 2026
Located in Grant Park, Zoo Atlanta offers experiences like giraffe feedings, wildlife presentations, and elephant encounters.
—Elizabeth Rhodes, Travel + Leisure, 23 Jan. 2026
That means the rider can steer the elephant, but only if the elephant is willing.
—Gwen Faulkenberry, Arkansas Online, 15 Jan. 2026
See All Example Sentences for elephant
Tom Chivers, semafor.com, 27 Jan. 2026
There’s the friendly, dignified matriarch who’s lived in the same house for decades (Mai Thai, the Asian elephant).
—Dan Horn, Cincinnati Enquirer, 25 Jan. 2026
Located in Grant Park, Zoo Atlanta offers experiences like giraffe feedings, wildlife presentations, and elephant encounters.
—Elizabeth Rhodes, Travel + Leisure, 23 Jan. 2026
That means the rider can steer the elephant, but only if the elephant is willing.
—Gwen Faulkenberry, Arkansas Online, 15 Jan. 2026
See All Example Sentences for elephant
Recent Examples of Synonyms for elephant
Noun
-
But that is where a team with arguably the most forward-facing executive in the NBA, if not in all of sports, had to be forward facing, with a media session with the same type of clarity as all those times after landing, for lack of better phrasing, a whale.—
Ira Winderman,
Sun Sentinel,
7 Feb. 2026
-
The whales are selling up, according to Jefferies analyst Andrew Moss.—
Jim Edwards,
Fortune,
6 Feb. 2026
Noun
-
There’s a growing sense that repeated EU efforts to rein in tech giants such as Google with blockbuster antitrust fines and sweeping digital rule books haven’t done much to curb their dominance.—
Kelvin Chan,
Los Angeles Times,
3 Feb. 2026
-
The fast-food giant has teamed with Paramount Caviar for the kits.—
Chad Murphy,
Cincinnati Enquirer,
3 Feb. 2026
Noun
-
An article in The Conversation described how some dinosaurs walked on sandy, inter-tidal channel bars, while the feet of others sank into soft mud forming the bed of the channel.—
Maria Mocerino,
Interesting Engineering,
1 Feb. 2026
-
The Blueprint is a dinosaur from a different era.—
Chris Roemer,
Baltimore Sun,
1 Feb. 2026
Noun
-
Clues in the snow led to the arrests of two suspects in a business break-in during last weekend’s monster storm in the Charlotte region and rest of the state, Iredell County Sheriff Darren Campbell said in a social media post.—
Joe Marusak,
Charlotte Observer,
7 Feb. 2026
-
The 6-8 Mendoza was a monster on Friday, scoring 21 points, grabbing 14 rebounds and blocking six shots.—
John Maffei,
San Diego Union-Tribune,
7 Feb. 2026
Noun
-
Savvy ancestors As mammoths and elephants were rare in prehistoric England, the discovery highlights the advanced cognitive skills of early humans.—
Mrigakshi Dixit,
Interesting Engineering,
21 Jan. 2026
-
Using chemical clues from Neanderthal bones, researchers have placed the species at the top of the food chain, alongside apex predators like lions – feasting on big animals such as mammoths or bison.—
Jay Kakade
December 31,
New Atlas,
31 Dec. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Elephant.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/elephant. Accessed 10 Feb. 2026.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
