puppy

noun

Definition of puppynext
as in pup

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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 puppy Invading forces threaten the country when Etna is still a puppy, and the looming war marks the abrupt end of his idyllic puppyhood. — Rachel Vorona Cote, The Atlantic, 30 July 2026 Koo is also rather adorable and acts more like a giant puppy than a Mononoke Hime-esque wolf. — Ollie Barder, Forbes.com, 23 July 2026 Like a puppy let off the leash, the 420 Sport feels explosive and insatiably energetic. — Tim Pitt, Robb Report, 22 July 2026 Tank also follows in the paw prints of another beloved Ladder 20 Dalmatian, Twenty, who was gifted to the station as a puppy after seven members died during the response to the 9/11 attacks. — Lauren Paige Richeson, USA Today, 15 July 2026 See All Example Sentences for puppy
Recent Examples of Synonyms for puppy
  1. pup
  2. whelp
  3. puppy dog
Noun
  • Also, the Grindr is all guys either dressed up for pup play or wearing ladies’ panties, which is also not my idea of a good time, but slightly better than getting your foot stuck in a wet, mossy hole.
    — Brian Moylan, Vulture, 5 Aug. 2026
  • The pup was one of hundreds of pets and wild animals rescued by volunteers this week during the blaze, which prompted multiple evacuations.
    — ABC News, ABC News, 5 Aug. 2026
Definition of pup
Noun
  • Unlikely Meathead, a whelp who spoke from a position of occasionally whiny, frequently wet-behind-the-ears insulation from life’s realities, Reiner had gray in his beard and a lengthy track record of using his podium for good.
    — Daniel Fienberg, HollywoodReporter, 3 Sep. 2019
Definition of whelp
Noun
  • Kenny is super likable but kind of just follows Boyd around like a puppy dog.
    — Erik Kain, Forbes.com, 5 July 2026
  • Cassie is trying to become social-media famous, suggestively flashing her all-American assets online in a variety of fetishy costumes (a puppy dog, a pacifier-sucking baby).
    — Naomi Fry, New Yorker, 18 Apr. 2026
Definition of puppy dog

Browse Nearby Words

pupping
puppy
puppy dog
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Cite this Entry

“Puppy.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/puppy. Accessed 12 Aug. 2026.

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More from Merriam-Webster on puppy

Nglish: Translation of puppy for Spanish Speakers

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