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elephants

noun

variants also elephant
plural of elephant
as in whales
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 elephants All mammals, from mice to cats to elephants, appear to sleep in some form or another. — Michael R. Nadorff, The Conversation, 14 Sep. 2026 Other animals like zebras, giraffes, impalas, warthogs, and more soon follow, benefiting from the elephants’ labor. — Nicholas Derenzo, Travel + Leisure, 13 Sep. 2026 For millions of years, Pacific mastodons — huge, hairy relatives of modern elephants — roamed a vast and lush range that included California, Oregon, the northern Rocky Mountains and parts of Mexico. — Los Angeles Times, 10 Sep. 2026 Children receive activity books in every restaurant and on arrival, following the adventures of Benny the elephant around Paris, and dive toys from the lifeguard downstairs at the Sense, A Rosewood Spa pool, which is lit from above by a skylight. — Laura Dannen Redman, Robb Report, 10 Sep. 2026 Both of the large mammals are distant relatives of the elephant and existed in similar regions and time periods. — Megan Fahrney, ABC News, 10 Sep. 2026 References were made to the parable of the blind men and the elephant. — Quanta Magazine, 9 Sep. 2026 The box also had small holes, so that the elephants could see and smell the goodies inside. — Margherita Bassi, Popular Science, 9 Sep. 2026 Bringing lions, elephants, bears or crocodiles to Rome from the furthest reaches of the Empire was a way of displaying the extent of the world Rome had conquered. — Roberto Prieto, Variety, 8 Sep. 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for elephants
  1. whales
  2. dinosaurs
  3. giants
  4. mammoths
  5. monsters
Noun
  • The public is advised to stay alert, particularly in active waterways with boat traffic, as whales can surface unexpectedly.
    — Megan Fahrney, ABC News, 18 Sep. 2026
  • The scientists also found evidence of specialized, super-sized neurons involved in social cognition only found in large-brain mammals like elephants, whales, and primates, including humans.
    — Megan Molteni, STAT, 16 Sep. 2026
Definition of whales
Noun
  • The findings add to the growing body of research into how dinosaurs functioned.
    — Mary Randolph, Scientific American, 16 Sep. 2026
  • Eagle says that's higher than a reptile or some slower mammals like sloths, but lower than birds, which evolved from dinosaurs.
    — ABC News, ABC News, 16 Sep. 2026
Definition of dinosaurs
Noun
  • As tech giants race to expand computing infrastructure, Nvidia has emerged as the single biggest beneficiary of the current AI boom.
    — , CNBC, 18 Sep. 2026
  • Its technology unit, Aramco Digital, has agreements with global tech giants including Microsoft, Qualcomm, and Groq — subsequently acquired by Nvidia — to collaborate in Saudi Arabia.
    — Matthew Martin, semafor.com, 17 Sep. 2026
Definition of giants
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 mammoths
Noun
  • Districts could be drawn that look like dinosaurs, steam locomotives or Frankenstein monsters.
    — Chris West, Baltimore Sun, 19 Sep. 2026
  • However, the biggest influences behind the storytelling came from classic Universal monsters and the Hammer Film Productions horrors.
    — Jazz Tangcay, Variety, 18 Sep. 2026
Definition of monsters

Browse Nearby Words

elephantine
elephants
elevate
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Cite this Entry

“Elephants.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/elephants. Accessed 21 Sep. 2026.

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