as in weak
lacking strength of will or character
an invertebrate Congress that blithely went along with the President's ill-conceived plan
Synonyms & Similar Words
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of invertebrate
Avery Hurt, Discover Magazine, 3 Feb. 2023
A year later, the state budgeted $10 million to pull DNA out of historic insect collections, as well as to launch ambitious new field studies to better understand the extent of California’s invertebrate biodiversity.
—Los Angeles Times, 24 Dec. 2022
Tara Massouleh McCay, Southern Living, 1 Dec. 2025
The invertebrate animals develop a hard skeleton of calcium carbonate, which forms the structure of living reefs.
—Evan Bush, NBC news, 23 Oct. 2025
See All Example Sentences for invertebrate
Adjective
Jessica Ware is associate curator of invertebrate zoology at the American Museum of Natural History.
—Avery Hurt, Discover Magazine, 3 Feb. 2023
A year later, the state budgeted $10 million to pull DNA out of historic insect collections, as well as to launch ambitious new field studies to better understand the extent of California’s invertebrate biodiversity.
—Los Angeles Times, 24 Dec. 2022
Noun
Visitors have the opportunity to interact with stingrays and invertebrate species, and attend educational programs that give more information on local gamefish, sharks, and sea turtles.
—Tara Massouleh McCay, Southern Living, 1 Dec. 2025
The invertebrate animals develop a hard skeleton of calcium carbonate, which forms the structure of living reefs.
—Evan Bush, NBC news, 23 Oct. 2025
See All Example Sentences for invertebrate
Recent Examples of Synonyms for invertebrate
Adjective
-
The slide appears to have involved a thick slab of soft snow breaking loose at a weak layer in the snowpack, the report said.—
Ethan Baron,
Mercury News,
4 Apr. 2026
-
Endowed not only with a privileged birthright but—unlike the actual princes over in England, who had weak chins and went bald young—the physical stature to match?—
Jeffrey Eugenides,
New Yorker,
4 Apr. 2026
Noun
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The longest-living vertebrate ever discovered isn’t a whale or a tortoise.—
Samantha Agate,
Kansas City Star,
31 Mar. 2026
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This type of symbiotic relationship is common in the invertebrate and plant worlds but rare among vertebrates.—
Encyclopedia Britannica,
Encyclopedia Britannica,
30 Mar. 2026
Adjective
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These categories include young children, older adults, pregnant women and people with weakened immune systems.—
Katia Hetter,
CNN Money,
1 Apr. 2026
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Niacin was also found to restore function in weakened immune cells, improving their ability to target and destroy tumor cells.—
Melissa Rudy,
FOXNews.com,
31 Mar. 2026
Noun
-
In a more general sense, a carnivore is any animal (or plant; see carnivorous plant) that eats other animals, as opposed to a herbivore, which eats plants.—
Encyclopedia Britannica,
Encyclopedia Britannica,
2 Apr. 2026
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The anthocyanin pigments that predominate in dark leaves also protect them from UV damage and, due to their toxicity when highly concentrated, deter herbivores.—
Joshua Siskin,
Oc Register,
28 Mar. 2026
Adjective
-
The slide appears to have involved a thick slab of soft snow breaking loose at a weak layer in the snowpack, the report said.—
Ethan Baron,
Mercury News,
4 Apr. 2026
-
Sleeping positions and firmness Beyond mattress type, your preferred sleep position and mattress firmness (how hard or soft a bed feels) are other important factors to consider when buying a mattress.—
Sharon Brandwein,
USA Today,
4 Apr. 2026
Noun
-
In a more general sense, a carnivore is any animal (or plant; see carnivorous plant) that eats other animals, as opposed to a herbivore, which eats plants.—
Encyclopedia Britannica,
Encyclopedia Britannica,
2 Apr. 2026
-
Since the 1950s, coyotes have expanded their geographic range by about 40%, roughly twice the rate of other North American carnivores.—
Miriam Fauzia,
Dallas Morning News,
26 Mar. 2026
Adjective
-
The nagging wife, the angry daughter and the spineless detective.—
Erik Kain,
Forbes.com,
29 Jan. 2026
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He must be impeached, but with a spineless Congress and a corrupt Supreme Court how this will happen is in grave doubt.—
Sun Sentinel Editorial Board,
Sun Sentinel,
26 Jan. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Invertebrate.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/invertebrate. Accessed 6 Apr. 2026.
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