vertebrates

noun

plural of vertebrate
as in animals
biology an animal that has a backbone

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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 vertebrates Insects fill so many roles and perform so many services for human beings and other species, including charismatic vertebrates people know and love, such as sloths and songbirds. — Chris Elphick, The Conversation, 6 Nov. 2026 This loss many explain the faster rate of chromosome evolution in spiders than seen in vertebrates. — Sacbee.com, 3 Nov. 2026 Telomere genes serve as the protective ends for chromosomes, and biologists theorize this may partially explain why spider chromosomes evolve so much faster than vertebrates. — Andrew Paul, Popular Science, 28 Oct. 2026 Transposable elements are linked to the evolution of animal eyes as well as the adaptive immune system in jawed vertebrates. — Jake Buehler, Quanta Magazine, 21 Sep. 2026 There were no cosmonauts aboard, but there were several smaller vertebrates — including the first two tortoises to ever go to space! — Tariq Malik, Space.com, 15 Sep. 2026 Although people sometimes use animals informally to mean only vertebrates (animals with backbones) or even just mammals, in biology the term includes insects as well. — Encyclopedia Britannica, 14 Aug. 2026 Others, including Erin Maxwell, an expert on Early Jurassic marine vertebrates at the State Museum of Natural History in Stuttgart, disagree. — Anne Doran, ARTnews.com, 12 Aug. 2026 Erin Maxwell, an expert in Early Jurassic marine vertebrates at the State Museum of Natural History in Stuttgart, Germany, lamented the sale as a loss to the UK. — News Desk, Artforum, 11 Aug. 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for vertebrates
  1. animals
  2. creatures
  3. critters
  4. quadrupeds
  5. beasties
Noun
  • The facility -- which is home to more than 10,000 animals -- must operate 24 hours a day.
    — CBS News, CBS News, 2 Nov. 2026
  • Rice takes curious young readers on a tour of the natural world that’s hiding in plain sight, focusing on the ways that plants and animals communicate and connect.
    — Literary Hub, Literary Hub, 2 Nov. 2026
Definition of animals
Noun
  • Be careful when rolling the log back to avoid injuring these creatures.
    — Pamm Cooper, Hartford Courant, 8 Nov. 2026
  • The decades-old Japanese franchise, which began as a children’s video game, centers on fictional creatures that players collect, train and battle.
    — Matt Lavietes, NBC news, 7 Nov. 2026
Definition of creatures
Noun
  • In less than two months, a different camera stationed not far from the southern end of the crossing picked up a plethora of critters, including a mountain lion with two older kittens and another uncollared lion.
    — Lila Seidman, Los Angeles Times, 4 Nov. 2026
  • After all, the birds and critters that frequent your backyard might enjoy the fruit as much as you.
    — Louise Parks, Martha Stewart, 31 Oct. 2026
Definition of critters
Noun
  • Unitree is part of a broader wave of Chinese robotics manufacturers that are dominating the industry, not just in humanoid robots but also in quadrupeds, household robots, and industrial machines.
    — Nicholas Gordon, Fortune, 17 Aug. 2026
  • But there will be fewer bodies for those brains to go into, at least in the US, after Washington this week banned new foreign humanoids and quadrupeds.
    — J.D. Capelouto, semafor.com, 31 July 2026
Definition of quadrupeds
Noun
  • Greg and Denise are having some marital issues, but everybody needs to put other concerns aside to stay alive with nasty raptors and other hungry beasties around.
    — Brian Truitt, USA Today, 15 Aug. 2026
  • And when that happens, astronomers will set about studying these new beasties with other eyes on the sky to learn more about them and hopefully understand them.
    — Phil Plait, Scientific American, 24 July 2026
Definition of beasties

Browse Nearby Words

vertebrate
vertebrates
vertex
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Cite this Entry

“Vertebrates.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/vertebrates. Accessed 12 Nov. 2026.

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