vertebrate

noun

Definition of vertebratenext
as in animal
biology an animal that has a backbone

Related Words

Relevance

Dissimilar Words

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 vertebrate In humans and other vertebrates, aging hearts typically accumulate scar-like collagen deposits called fibrosis. — Melissa Cristina Márquez, Forbes.com, 1 Aug. 2026 Like Jimothy, Cooper has short spine syndrome, a rare congenital condition in which an animal's vertebrate doesn't develop into bone during fetal development. — Greta Cross, USA Today, 31 July 2026 Because of their smaller body sizes than vertebrates, arthropods are often portrayed as prey of vertebrates. — Jay Kakade july 13, New Atlas, 14 July 2026 Insects and the like Most of the species cats ate were vertebrates – mostly birds, followed by mammals and reptiles. — Christopher A. Lepczyk, The Conversation, 8 July 2026 See All Example Sentences for vertebrate
Recent Examples of Synonyms for vertebrate
  1. animal
  2. creature
  3. critter
Noun
  • Whale calls can travel as far as 100 kilometers underwater, which means the animals can be located by comparing when those calls reach receivers embedded along the ocean floor.
    — ArsTechnica, ArsTechnica, 1 Sep. 2026
  • The animal was brought to safety as crews continued efforts to extinguish the fire and secure the scene.
    — Denis Akbari, USA Today, 1 Sep. 2026
Definition of animal
Noun
  • Her daughter, who is an animal lover, has learned about marine creatures by scuba diving and going on submarine rides on their trips.
    — Kathleen Wong, USA Today, 27 Aug. 2026
  • The apocalypse isn’t frightening because of zombies or some fantastical creature.
    — Lily Brown, PEOPLE, 26 Aug. 2026
Definition of creature
Noun
  • These critters may look cute and cuddly, but their sharp claws are anything but.
    — Michelle Mastro, Martha Stewart, 30 Aug. 2026
  • Thanks to all these survey techniques, Arizona scientists are making inroads in illuminating the secret lives of these nocturnal critters.
    — Shi En Kim, AZCentral.com, 28 Aug. 2026
Definition of critter

Browse Nearby Words

vertebral columns
vertebrate
vertebrates
See all Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Vertebrate.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/vertebrate. Accessed 3 Sep. 2026.

Copy Citation

More from Merriam-Webster on vertebrate

Britannica.com: Encyclopedia article about vertebrate

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’

A List of Most Commonly Confused Words

Why do we use apostrophes to show possession?

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

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

Popular in Wordplay

See More

The Longest Long Words List

Stay Woke

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

14 Phobias You Probably Haven't Heard Of

The Words of the Week - Sept. 4
See More

Popular

See More

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

The Longest Long Words List

Stay Woke
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