invertebrate 1 of 2

adjective

(ˌ)in-ˈvər-tə-brət How to pronounce invertebrate (audio)
Definition of invertebratenext
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

invertebrate

2 of 2

noun

as in vertebrate

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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 invertebrate
Adjective
There will be hands-on training to conduct water quality testing and macro-invertebrate sampling. — Arkansas Online, 21 Oct. 2025 Jessica Ware is associate curator of invertebrate zoology at the American Museum of Natural History. — Avery Hurt, Discover Magazine, 3 Feb. 2023
Noun
When Jo arrives on the island, however, Nadia is missing, and the jellyfish appears to be much more than a mere invertebrate. — Tessa Yang, PEOPLE, 2 June 2026 Previous Conservation Station elements including the veterinary treatment room, animal nutrition window and the amphibian, reptile and invertebrate windows again will be available. — Dewayne Bevil, The Orlando Sentinel, 13 May 2026 See All Example Sentences for invertebrate
Recent Examples of Synonyms for invertebrate
  1. weak
  2. vertebrate
  3. weakened
  4. herbivore
  5. soft
  6. carnivore
  7. spineless
Adjective
  • The Commerce Department released a report Friday showing weak retail sales in July.
    — CBS News, CBS News, 19 Aug. 2026
  • Following his coach and uncle Toni’s advice, Nadal finally beat Roger Federer at Wimbledon in 2008, breaking Federer’s Open-Era-record five-year winning streak on grass, by playing high balls to Federer’s back hand, his weak point.
    — John Hopewell, Variety, 19 Aug. 2026
Definition of weak
Noun
  • Although people sometimes use animals informally to mean only vertebrates (animals with backbones) or even just mammals, in biology the term includes insects as well.
    — Encyclopedia Britannica, Encyclopedia Britannica, 14 Aug. 2026
  • Others, including Erin Maxwell, an expert on Early Jurassic marine vertebrates at the State Museum of Natural History in Stuttgart, disagree.
    — Anne Doran, ARTnews.com, 12 Aug. 2026
Definition of vertebrate
Adjective
  • Now, some fear a weakened Voting Rights Act could cause those gains to be reversed, Tamar Hallerman reports.
    — Adam Beam, AJC.com, 17 Aug. 2026
  • Children under five, older adults and people with weakened immune systems face the greatest risk of severe illness.
    — Tatiana Sataua, Fortune, 17 Aug. 2026
Definition of weakened
Noun
  • That shape could be consistent with tracks left by either theropods — a group that includes meat-eating dinosaurs — or ornithopods, which were bipedal herbivores.
    — Brandi D. Addison, USA Today, 17 Aug. 2026
  • Hippos, which are herbivores, are the third-largest land animal after elephants and white rhinos and can weigh as much as 8,000 pounds.
    — Dennis Romero, NBC news, 8 Aug. 2026
Definition of herbivore
Adjective
  • On Friday, his only real trouble was in the fifth inning, when a soft single, a line drive and a bunt hit loaded the bases with one out.
    — Jeff Fletcher, Oc Register, 22 Aug. 2026
  • This finding, the authors said, suggested soft tissue was still holding the skeleton in place.
    — Katie Hunt, CNN Money, 21 Aug. 2026
Definition of soft
Noun
  • Grain-free Cats are carnivores and don’t need grains in their diets.
    — BestReviews, Mercury News, 13 Aug. 2026
  • That, paired with the smoky sausage and flavorful ham, was a carnivore’s paradise.
    — Evan Moore, Charlotte Observer, 12 Aug. 2026
Definition of carnivore
Adjective
  • And now the nation will probably never get back to normal because a spineless GOP can never admit that it’s been conned.
    — Steven Greenhut, Oc Register, 22 May 2026
  • Some of Thomas’s critique appeared to be aimed at weak-willed conservatives, including his fellow-Justices, for being, as Thomas perceives it, too spineless to stand up for the ideals enshrined in the Declaration.
    — Ruth Marcus, New Yorker, 21 May 2026
Definition of spineless

Browse Nearby Words

invert
invertebrate
invertebrates
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Cite this Entry

“Invertebrate.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/invertebrate. Accessed 23 Aug. 2026.

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More from Merriam-Webster on invertebrate

Nglish: Translation of invertebrate for Spanish Speakers

Britannica.com: Encyclopedia article about invertebrate

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