as in dinosaurs
something that is unusually large and powerful
a whale of a pickup truck
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
1
as in hits
to deliver a blow to (someone or something) usually in a strong vigorous manner
whaled the ball so hard that it sailed over the fence and into the neighbor's yard
Synonyms & Similar Words
2
as in hides
to strike repeatedly with something long and thin or flexible
whaled the rug with a broom to knock the dirt out of it
Synonyms & Similar Words
3
as in pounds
to strike repeatedly
mercilessly whaled the pickpocket for stealing from her purse
Synonyms & Similar 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 whales
Chloe Berge, AFAR Media, 15 Oct. 2025
It was enacted the year before the Endangered Species Act, at a time when the movement to save whales from extinction was growing.
—Jason Ma, Fortune, 12 Oct. 2025
Humpback whales were once hunted nearly to extinction, but a moratorium on commercial whaling in 1985 allowed the species to make a comeback, according to the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration.
—Irene Wright, Miami Herald, 9 Oct. 2025
Horses, cacti, whales and beaches appear across the line.
—Ryma Chikhoune, Footwear News, 9 Oct. 2025
According to documents compiled by The Canadian Press, 20 whales have died at the park since 2018.
—Mary Walrath-Holdridge, USA Today, 9 Oct. 2025
The Canadian government recently denied the park's request to export the whales to China.
—Joey Nolfi, Entertainment Weekly, 8 Oct. 2025
Killer whales are highly social ocean predators that live and travel in groups, according to the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration.
—Paloma Chavez, Sacbee.com, 2 Oct. 2025
Canada’s last captive whales will remain at the Marineland park near Niagara Falls for now after the federal government denied the zoo’s request to ship the 30 belugas to China.
—CNN Money, 2 Oct. 2025
Noun
Driftwood tent shelters appear marooned like shipwrecks, and the beach is scattered with the bones of the giant whales.
—Chloe Berge, AFAR Media, 15 Oct. 2025
It was enacted the year before the Endangered Species Act, at a time when the movement to save whales from extinction was growing.
—Jason Ma, Fortune, 12 Oct. 2025
Humpback whales were once hunted nearly to extinction, but a moratorium on commercial whaling in 1985 allowed the species to make a comeback, according to the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration.
—Irene Wright, Miami Herald, 9 Oct. 2025
Horses, cacti, whales and beaches appear across the line.
—Ryma Chikhoune, Footwear News, 9 Oct. 2025
According to documents compiled by The Canadian Press, 20 whales have died at the park since 2018.
—Mary Walrath-Holdridge, USA Today, 9 Oct. 2025
The Canadian government recently denied the park's request to export the whales to China.
—Joey Nolfi, Entertainment Weekly, 8 Oct. 2025
Killer whales are highly social ocean predators that live and travel in groups, according to the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration.
—Paloma Chavez, Sacbee.com, 2 Oct. 2025
Canada’s last captive whales will remain at the Marineland park near Niagara Falls for now after the federal government denied the zoo’s request to ship the 30 belugas to China.
—CNN Money, 2 Oct. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for whales
Noun
-
Sample collection lasted about three to four years just for Cretaceous rocks, while another four to five were spent on the overlying rock that shows when mammals lived at the site after the dinosaurs went extinct.—
Ashley Strickland,
CNN Money,
23 Oct. 2025
-
How did Indigenous people in North America interpret fossils of dinosaurs and other long-extinct animals?—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
22 Oct. 2025
Verb
-
This week, Megan Thee Stallion enters her lover girl era, Hayley Williams throws it back to Paramore’s After Laughter heyday with a funky love song, and Demi Lovato hits the club or her new not-that-deep studio album.—
Rolling Stone,
Rolling Stone,
24 Oct. 2025
-
New Delhi pollution hits five-year high Air pollution in New Delhi hit a five-year high this week, as Diwali fireworks combined with farming fires to shroud the city in a toxic haze.—
Ben Smith,
semafor.com,
24 Oct. 2025
Verb
-
Incarceration often hides in plain sight.—
PhotoVogue,
Vogue,
25 Oct. 2025
-
The scene from Badlands hangs over the songwriting like a dark cloud; Spacek’s bedroom in the scene looks quite a bit like the bedroom in which the young Springsteen hides from his own angry father.—
Sadie Sartini Garner,
Pitchfork,
24 Oct. 2025
Noun
-
The way European football’s financial landscape has been transformed over the last couple of decades — putting Real Madrid, Barcelona, Bayern Munich, Paris Saint-Germain and a handful of English clubs far beyond everyone else, including the Italian giants — is enormously unhealthy.—
Oliver Kay,
New York Times,
23 Oct. 2025
-
Bloomberg reports that OpenAI has hired more than 100 former investment bankers from Morgan Stanley, Goldman Sachs, and other financial giants, staff that’s been brought on board to help train financial models that can replace entry-level tasks performed by younger bankers.—
John Kell,
Fortune,
22 Oct. 2025
Verb
-
Founded in 1777, Lexington is home to both Washington & Lee University and Virginia Military Institute (VMI), and the presence of the universities no doubt plays a part in a cultural richness that punches above its weight class for a tiny town of just 7,000 people.—
Heather Bien,
Southern Living,
19 Oct. 2025
-
Russia will not stop unless someone bigger and tougher than them punches him in the nose.—
Michele Kelemen,
NPR,
17 Oct. 2025
Verb
-
In the video, Campos whips her long hair in disbelief.—
Christina Noriega,
Refinery29,
13 Oct. 2025
-
So unless Benito uncharacteristically whips out a slate of cover songs, his set will be entirely in Spanish.—
Maya Georgi,
Rolling Stone,
29 Sep. 2025
Verb
-
Posted to the account @maisythemarshmallow on September 19, the video shows the dog, named Maisy, lying calmly as the cat snuggles up and licks her face.—
Melissa Fleur Afshar,
MSNBC Newsweek,
25 Sep. 2025
-
When asked the question, the owl takes the lollipop and licks it three times before chomping down on its hard shell exterior and handing the stick back to the child.—
Moná Thomas,
People.com,
8 Sep. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Whales.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/whales. Accessed 29 Oct. 2025.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
Share