panther

noun

ˈpan(t)-thər How to pronounce panther (audio)
Definition of panthernext
as in cougar
a large tawny cat of the wild the panther is surprisingly difficult to spot

Synonyms & Similar Words

Relevance

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 panther Honey is poured across her lover’s body, while a black panther watches Musgraves from a distance. — Lily Brown, PEOPLE, 22 July 2026 The majority are shaped like the animals — turtles, panthers, bear, birds and other creatures — that inhabited the region. — Joe Yogerst, CNN Money, 27 June 2026 Salvador Dalí arrived with a panther, Mick Jagger celebrated his birthday, and the Beatles played a set on its stage. — Alexander Lobrano, Air Mail, 6 June 2026 See six statues of panthers and three statues of tigers. — Olivia Kan-Sperling, Artforum, 2 May 2026 See All Example Sentences for panther
Recent Examples of Synonyms for panther
  1. cougar
  2. puma
Noun
  • The tragic ending of the young puma in San Dimas comes three months after a year-old female cougar and a 6-month-old male mountain lion were fatally struck by vehicles.
    — Ruben Vives, Los Angeles Times, 14 Aug. 2026
  • New large-scale research shows that the presence of mountain lions, also known as pumas or cougars, can drastically decrease the number of potentially deadly collisions between deer and vehicles by changing the behavior of their prey.
    — Gennaro Tomma, Scientific American, 5 Aug. 2026
Definition of cougar
Noun
  • Makini was a major attraction at the zoo's Big Cat Falls exhibit, which is also home to pumas, tigers and snow leopards.
    — Frederick Sutton Sinclair, CBS News, 22 Aug. 2026
  • The tragic ending of the young puma in San Dimas comes three months after a year-old female cougar and a 6-month-old male mountain lion were fatally struck by vehicles.
    — Ruben Vives, Los Angeles Times, 14 Aug. 2026
Definition of puma

Browse Nearby Words

pantheisms
panther
panthers
See all Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Panther.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/panther. Accessed 1 Sep. 2026.

Copy Citation
Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!

Popular in Grammar & Usage

See More

A Who’s Who Regarding ‘Who’s’ and ‘Whose’

Is it 'nerve-racking' or 'nerve-wracking'?

What's the difference between 'fascism' and 'socialism'?

Why does English have so many silent letters?

7 Pairs of Commonly Confused Words
See More

Popular in Wordplay

See More

Ye Olde Nincompoop: Old-Fashioned Words for 'Stupid'

14 Phobias You Probably Haven't Heard Of

Even More Words That Sound Like Insults But Aren't

Even More Bird Names that Sound Like Insults (and Sometimes Are)

12 Lovely and Unusual Words for the Natural World
See More

Popular

See More

A Who’s Who Regarding ‘Who’s’ and ‘Whose’

Ye Olde Nincompoop: Old-Fashioned Words for 'Stupid'

14 Phobias You Probably Haven't Heard Of
See More

Games & Quizzes

See All
Play Quordle: Guess all four words in a limited number of tries. Each of your guesses must be a real 5-letter word.
Quordle Can you solve 4 words at once?
Play Blossom: Solve today's spelling word game by finding as many words as you can using just 7 letters. Longer words score more points.
Blossom Pick the best words!
Play Missing Letter: a crossword with a twist. Each of the 25 puzzle words start with a different letter of the alphabet. Which letter is missing?
The Missing Letter A daily crossword with a twist
skateboard-dog-hat
Wordmaxxing Slang Quiz Give your vocabulary a glow up by getting sendy w...
See All