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 The video captured him grabbing the puppy and lifting it above the surface to keep its head out of the water, then swimming back toward the shore on his back with the puppy still in front of him. — Adam England, PEOPLE, 8 Oct. 2026 Santa Ana Police arrested a woman Thursday who appeared to deliberately run over a 9-month-old puppy in a disturbing surveillance camera video. — Clara Harter, Los Angeles Times, 1 Oct. 2026 Up on a hill overlooking Sarajevo, Karadžić, the proud champion of his nation, huddles inside a little red pod, formerly part of a cable car, trying to make a phone call to his wife while petting a puppy that larks around at his feet. — Anthony Lane, New Yorker, 28 Sep. 2026 If your older dog always is on the losing end of things, that’s an indication the puppy is playing too hard. — Joan Morris, Mercury News, 28 Sep. 2026 See All Example Sentences for puppy
Recent Examples of Synonyms for puppy
  1. pup
  2. whelp
  3. puppy dog
Noun
  • That extra piece of siding near the entrance helps prevent wind and rain from entering the dog house, keeping your pup dry and warm in the winter.
    — BestReviews, Chicago Tribune, 2 Nov. 2026
  • Salsa was rescued once as a pup during an Unprecedented Mortality Event, released in 2015, re-stranded due to a fishing entanglement and deemed non-releasable by the federal government.
    — Valerie Greene, The Orlando Sentinel, 22 Oct. 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
  • You might be tempted by that pair of puppy dog eyes in the pet store window.
    — Jane Sykes, Washington Post, 8 Oct. 2026
  • Kenny is super likable but kind of just follows Boyd around like a puppy dog.
    — Erik Kain, Forbes.com, 5 July 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 4 Nov. 2026.

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