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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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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 An investigation is underway to establish the definitive cause of the deaths inside the area where wildlife including lions, elephants and black rhinos live in proximity with semi-nomadic Maasai pastoralists. — ABC News, 21 Sep. 2026 That lines up well with Indian and African elephants, which run at around 36°, and falls within the margin of error of large flightless birds like ostriches and emus. — Jacek Krywko, ArsTechnica, 20 Sep. 2026 According to Kenya's Wildlife Service, preliminary tests showed the elephants may have ingested cyanide. — Kristin Wright, NPR, 20 Sep. 2026 Mastodons were massive, elephant-like herbivores that went extinct roughly 11,700 years ago, near the end of the last Ice Age. — Andrea Margolis, FOXNews.com, 19 Sep. 2026 See All Example Sentences for elephant
Recent Examples of Synonyms for elephant
  1. whale
  2. giant
  3. dinosaur
  4. monster
  5. mammoth
Noun
  • Bringing them to the aquarium to keep them alive likely causes great trauma to the whales after many years of being left alone.
    — Chicago Tribune, Chicago Tribune, 26 Sep. 2026
  • In a first for marine mammals, veterinarians have used bacteria-killing viruses to treat a beluga whale (Delphinapterus leucas) with a drug-resistant infection.
    — Margherita Bassi, Popular Science, 24 Sep. 2026
Definition of whale
Noun
  • Despite those dynamics, the beverage giant posted net sales growth of 7% in the second quarter, as volume — a key measure of demand — rose 3% in North America.
    — Jacob Pramuk, CNBC, 25 Sep. 2026
  • There’s drinking, dancing, free pool, karaoke nights and late-night smash burgers all in one giant, eclectic space with 250 seats and a capacity of 600 guests.
    — Katelyn Umholtz, Kansas City Star, 25 Sep. 2026
Definition of giant
Noun
  • Abrams has also led dinosaur digs for 16 years and prepared hundreds of fossils.
    — Jordan Greene, PEOPLE, 24 Sep. 2026
  • Gonzo invites questions Two of the three biologists ended up putting Gonzo on the branch that produced theropod dinosaurs and birds, but by different routes.
    — Niranjana Rajalakshmi, Popular Science, 24 Sep. 2026
Definition of dinosaur
Noun
  • They’re rooted in a time and place that feels all too real, and this allows the monsters to parade their primitive might in a way that means something.
    — Owen Gleiberman, Variety, 27 Sep. 2026
  • At this point in TV history, audiences had grown jaded by the monster-of-the-week style that every show used and abused, wanting more depth to their programming.
    — Sergio Pereira, Space.com, 26 Sep. 2026
Definition of monster
Noun
  • In ancient California, they are believed to have existed alongside other extinct native species, including bison-sized Jefferson’s ground sloths, Columbian mammoths and western camels.
    — Los Angeles Times, Los Angeles Times, 10 Sep. 2026
  • See fossils of the 14-foot, 20,000-pound mammoths that used to roam around Texas.
    — Ella Gonzales, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 3 Sep. 2026
Definition of mammoth

Browse Nearby Words

elements
elephant
elephantine
See all Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Elephant.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/elephant. Accessed 30 Sep. 2026.

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More from Merriam-Webster on elephant

Britannica.com: Encyclopedia article about elephant

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