mastodon

noun

ˈma-stə-ˌdän How to pronounce mastodon (audio)
Definition of mastodonnext
as in whale
something or someone that is unusually large and powerful mom-and-pop stores just can't compete with these mastodons of retailing

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 mastodon Other species recovered from the cave, including mastodons and ground sloths, are rare in the region. — Hanna Wickes, Miami Herald, 29 Mar. 2026 Ground sloths and mastodons are linked to forest habitats. — Hanna Wickes, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 29 Mar. 2026 For example, utility workers once uncovered an ancient bone fragment from a mastodon. — Alice Gibbs, MSNBC Newsweek, 16 Sep. 2025 The frieze, estimated to be about 12,500 years old, depicts massive ice age beasts thought to have once roamed South America, including mastodons and ground sloths the size of a car. — Laura Bassett, Condé Nast Traveler, 21 Aug. 2025 See All Example Sentences for mastodon
Recent Examples of Synonyms for mastodon
  1. whale
  2. dinosaur
  3. giant
  4. monster
  5. mammoth
  6. elephant
Noun
  • The leading hypothesis is that the whale calves are suffering infections from marine bacteria that can enter their bodies through injuries inflicted by kelp gulls, Uhart said.
    — ABC News, ABC News, 2 Oct. 2026
  • The set moves in and out, another set rolls over, and another is on a gimbal that sways as the whale moves.
    — Lexy Perez, HollywoodReporter, 2 Oct. 2026
Definition of whale
Noun
  • Founded in 1812, and opened to the public in 1828, the Academy of Natural Sciences was the first place in the world to display a dinosaur skeleton, back in 1868.
    — Andrew Stelzer, NPR, 3 Oct. 2026
  • One of the more notable objects is a full Psittacosaurus skeleton, a small, plant-eating dinosaur with a distinctive beak.
    — Leigh Anne Miller, ARTnews.com, 2 Oct. 2026
Definition of dinosaur
Noun
  • Andersen predicts security concerns will ultimately keep China’s turbine giants from conquering the continent.
    — Sam Birchall, Fortune, 2 Oct. 2026
  • The tech giant vowed to publish its energy and water use annually, and spend more than $1 billion over five years on free community college, trades training, and home energy-efficiency upgrades in data center counties.
    — Ashley Gold, semafor.com, 2 Oct. 2026
Definition of giant
Noun
  • The main three projects — The Mummy, The Loudest Voice and Unabomber — each involve monsters in various forms.
    — Brian Davids, HollywoodReporter, 3 Oct. 2026
  • The world has seen many hurricanes rapidly intensify in recent years, strengthening from relatively weak storms into destructive monsters in a matter of hours.
    — Chanh Kieu, Washington Post, 2 Oct. 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
Noun
  • Elephants can be extremely destructive and dangerous, and several African countries must confront the problem of elephant herds destroying farmers' crops and infrastructure as well as killing or injuring people.
    — ABC News, ABC News, 2 Oct. 2026
  • The style’s unique details are what separates it from a standard Air Jordan 3, with a geometric pattern replacing the elephant print typically found on the model’s toe and heel overlays.
    — Riley Jones, Footwear News, 2 Oct. 2026
Definition of elephant

Browse Nearby Words

masticating
mastodon
mastodons
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Cite this Entry

“Mastodon.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/mastodon. Accessed 6 Oct. 2026.

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More from Merriam-Webster on mastodon

Britannica.com: Encyclopedia article about mastodon

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