as in animals
biology
an animal that has a backbone
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Recent Examples of vertebrates
According to the Nature study, the Captorhinus fossils help scientists more accurately place this evolutionary milestone in the timeline of terrestrial vertebrates — nearly 290 million years ago.
—
Samantha Agate, Miami Herald, 9 Apr. 2026
Likely caused by volcanic eruptions in present-day Siberia, the End-Permian cataclysm eventually wiped out around 57 percent of all biological life, including 70 percent of terrestrial vertebrates.
—Andrew Paul, Popular Science, 9 Apr. 2026
Perhaps the most intriguing fossils are the ones that potentially represent deuterostomes, the animal group that includes vertebrates, as well as starfish and sea urchins.
—Mindy Weisberger, CNN Money, 4 Apr. 2026
This type of symbiotic relationship is common in the invertebrate and plant worlds but rare among vertebrates.
—Encyclopedia Britannica, 30 Mar. 2026
In all vertebrates, the thymus degenerates very rapidly with age.
—Mallory Locklear, Hartford Courant, 7 Mar. 2026
Hundreds of new vertebrates annually.
—Hanna Wickes, Kansas City Star, 6 Mar. 2026
Here, Sihang Zhang and Peiyun Cong found specimens of two myllokunmingid species, representing the earliest vertebrates.
—New Atlas, 16 Feb. 2026
The fruit fly research by Freeman’s team indicates the next steps in research in vertebrates; in the same Science issue the group reported that norepinephrine changes how astrocytes respond to input from neurons.
—Ingrid Wickelgren, Quanta Magazine, 30 Jan. 2026
Samantha Agate, Miami Herald, 9 Apr. 2026
Likely caused by volcanic eruptions in present-day Siberia, the End-Permian cataclysm eventually wiped out around 57 percent of all biological life, including 70 percent of terrestrial vertebrates.
—Andrew Paul, Popular Science, 9 Apr. 2026
Perhaps the most intriguing fossils are the ones that potentially represent deuterostomes, the animal group that includes vertebrates, as well as starfish and sea urchins.
—Mindy Weisberger, CNN Money, 4 Apr. 2026
This type of symbiotic relationship is common in the invertebrate and plant worlds but rare among vertebrates.
—Encyclopedia Britannica, 30 Mar. 2026
In all vertebrates, the thymus degenerates very rapidly with age.
—Mallory Locklear, Hartford Courant, 7 Mar. 2026
Hundreds of new vertebrates annually.
—Hanna Wickes, Kansas City Star, 6 Mar. 2026
Here, Sihang Zhang and Peiyun Cong found specimens of two myllokunmingid species, representing the earliest vertebrates.
—New Atlas, 16 Feb. 2026
The fruit fly research by Freeman’s team indicates the next steps in research in vertebrates; in the same Science issue the group reported that norepinephrine changes how astrocytes respond to input from neurons.
—Ingrid Wickelgren, Quanta Magazine, 30 Jan. 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for vertebrates
Noun
-
Walker Farm While no injuries were reported, the owners of the barn say all but one of the animals that had been in the barn during the fire died, including two Great Pyrenees and one corgi.—
Riley Moser,
CBS News,
8 Apr. 2026
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Thousands of other animals, including sea turtles, birds and dolphins, were also killed and harmed in that disaster.—
Kristen Monsell,
Sun Sentinel,
7 Apr. 2026
Noun
-
Make Sure Your Problem Is Gophers Gophers are not the only tunneling creatures that can make a mess of your lawn.—
David Beaulieu,
The Spruce,
11 Apr. 2026
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Then there are the creatures that love to feast on the fruits, like squirrels, birds, and deer.—
Brandee Gruener,
Southern Living,
11 Apr. 2026
Noun
-
Before the fossils discovered in China, scientists saw traces of this symmetric body type in fossil tracks, but not the critters themselves.—
ABC News,
ABC News,
2 Apr. 2026
-
Some blame the cleanliness of an environment if there is a presence of bed bugs, but really, these critters will show up anywhere there is food.—
Fort Worth Star-Telegram,
Fort Worth Star-Telegram,
30 Mar. 2026
Noun
-
Interdiction of humans, that is, not quadrupeds.—
Matthew Wills,
JSTOR Daily,
30 Mar. 2026
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These mechanical quadrupeds, made by the likes of Boston Dynamics and Ghost Robotics, can patrol premises, scanning the perimeter for intruders, spies, and other ne’er-do-wells, and sound the alarm when holes in fences or other suspicious things are detected.—
Alexei Oreskovic,
Fortune,
19 Mar. 2026
Noun
-
Abby’s Magical Beasties, where one of the beasties goes missing, and Abby must problem-solve.—
Sarah Scott,
Parents,
3 Nov. 2025
-
In a horrific twist, Kasumi (Kana Hanazawa) wakes up way too early — and thus has to battle the ferocious beasties to survive.—
Declan Gallagher,
Entertainment Weekly,
30 Oct. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Vertebrates.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/vertebrates. Accessed 14 Apr. 2026.
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