variants
also 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
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
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Recent Examples of elephants
The habitat, the largest project in the San Diego Zoo Wildlife Alliance’s 109-year history, is home to the park’s herd of eight African savanna elephants.
—
Karen Kucher, San Diego Union-Tribune, 6 Mar. 2026
The world’s largest mammal, a century-plus elephant nicknamed Henry, was killed in 1955 and is on permanent exhibit at the Smithsonian.
—Stephen Schaefer, Boston Herald, 4 Mar. 2026
Given Kiwi’s little legs, Ambriz held her up to see most exhibits, including her favorite, the elephants.
—Julia James, Dallas Morning News, 2 Mar. 2026
Just like Tarzan’s graceful swing from vine to vine, the elephant graveyard was just a bit of movie script invention.
—Joan Morris, Mercury News, 2 Mar. 2026
This creates an intricate network of microscopic cracks that, in addition to visible furrows, help retain the water elephants douse themselves in to stay cool.
—Clare Watson, Quanta Magazine, 27 Feb. 2026
Boyes, too, exalts the elephants like a man possessed.
—Justin Chang, New Yorker, 27 Feb. 2026
And the elephants just lost their job.
—Matthew Carey, Deadline, 23 Mar. 2025
The elephant is, quite appropriately, according to Jonathan Haidt’s beloved analogy for Daniel Kahneman’s System 1 / System 2 duo, the emotion itself.
—Tim Maurer, Forbes, 23 Mar. 2025
Karen Kucher, San Diego Union-Tribune, 6 Mar. 2026
The world’s largest mammal, a century-plus elephant nicknamed Henry, was killed in 1955 and is on permanent exhibit at the Smithsonian.
—Stephen Schaefer, Boston Herald, 4 Mar. 2026
Given Kiwi’s little legs, Ambriz held her up to see most exhibits, including her favorite, the elephants.
—Julia James, Dallas Morning News, 2 Mar. 2026
Just like Tarzan’s graceful swing from vine to vine, the elephant graveyard was just a bit of movie script invention.
—Joan Morris, Mercury News, 2 Mar. 2026
This creates an intricate network of microscopic cracks that, in addition to visible furrows, help retain the water elephants douse themselves in to stay cool.
—Clare Watson, Quanta Magazine, 27 Feb. 2026
Boyes, too, exalts the elephants like a man possessed.
—Justin Chang, New Yorker, 27 Feb. 2026
And the elephants just lost their job.
—Matthew Carey, Deadline, 23 Mar. 2025
The elephant is, quite appropriately, according to Jonathan Haidt’s beloved analogy for Daniel Kahneman’s System 1 / System 2 duo, the emotion itself.
—Tim Maurer, Forbes, 23 Mar. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for elephants
Noun
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In addition to a long music career, McDonald remained politically active, advocating on behalf of saving the whales and helping Vietnam War veterans.—
Daniel Kreps,
Rolling Stone,
8 Mar. 2026
-
Sharks, whales, rays, turtles, dolphins, and even the rare dugong (a manatee-like creature) swim these stunning seas alongside hundreds of species of fish.—
Melanie van Zyl,
Travel + Leisure,
6 Mar. 2026
Noun
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Those discoveries have resulted in different events throughout the years geared towards education and celebration of the local connection to pre-historic dinosaurs.—
Fousia Abdullahi,
Fort Worth Star-Telegram,
6 Mar. 2026
-
From massive plant-eaters to fierce apex predators, each episode highlights how dinosaurs adapted to the climate and terrain of a changing planet and, ultimately, how their long reign came to a sudden and catastrophic end.—
Alex Shoemaker,
Parents,
6 Mar. 2026
Noun
-
Tools like OpenClaw can execute tasks autonomously on a user’s computer using AI models; China’s tech giants have launched their own versions, and around 1,000 people including students and retirees recently lined up outside Tencent’s Shenzhen headquarters for a free installation event.—
J.D. Capelouto,
semafor.com,
10 Mar. 2026
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Tech giants are buying up memory chips like never before, and paying a premium for multiyear contracts.—
Nasteho Said,
Bloomberg,
9 Mar. 2026
Noun
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Unlike typical mice with short gray-brown coats, these woolly mice have long dirty-blond hair that mimics the shaggy fur that helped protect mammoths from the Arctic cold.—
Rob Stein,
NPR,
4 Mar. 2026
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Fans typically think of interior defensive linemen as the mammoths of the gridiron who dominate with size and strength.—
Caleb Yum,
Austin American Statesman,
26 Feb. 2026
Noun
-
But this remains a polling no-brainer for lawmakers, who are tired of being seen as self-serving greed monsters.—
Philip Elliott,
Time,
9 Mar. 2026
-
Gyllenhaal cast her husband Peter Sarsgaard as a detective in pursuit of the two monsters on the run, with Penelope Cruz as his partner.—
Stephen Schaefer,
Boston Herald,
6 Mar. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Elephants.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/elephants. Accessed 14 Mar. 2026.
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