whales 1 of 2

noun

plural of whale
as in dinosaurs
something that is unusually large and powerful a whale of a pickup truck

Synonyms & Similar Words

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms

whales

2 of 2

verb

present tense third-person singular of whale
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

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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
Noun
Even in the deep ocean, which is filled with alien-like creatures, the whales almost feel like a master alien. — Dessi Gomez, Deadline, 16 Oct. 2026 The Marine Mammal Center cautions against getting too close to sea lions and whales, for everyone’s safety. — Anne Ewbank, Sacbee.com, 15 Oct. 2026 Under New York's Whale Awareness Act, boaters are required to stay at least 300 feet away from whales. — Jennifer McLogan, CBS News, 13 Oct. 2026 While responding to the incident, crews observed three whales in the area off Fire Island National Seashore. — ABC News, 8 Oct. 2026 The Mokattam Formation in northern Egypt is a thick layer of limestone that has preserved prehistoric marine fossils, including fish, sharks and early whales. — Taylor Nicioli, CNN Money, 6 Oct. 2026 The Shedd is an institution that depends on public support, from ticket sales to donations, and owes the public a full accounting of the circumstances surrounding these whales’ deaths. — Chicago Tribune, 4 Oct. 2026 The new interpretations of the Endangered Species Act remove some of the legal basis for enforcing rules for noisy seismic surveys, speed limits on vessels and restrictions on shipping routes designed to help protect the whales from harm. — Timothy Randhir, The Conversation, 1 Oct. 2026 Gordon took young Gavin and his sister, Hilary, on family vacations, including to watch whales in Canada and view elephants in Kenya. — Joe Hagan, Vanity Fair, 30 Sep. 2026
Verb
Killer whales off New England The aquarium says killer whale sightings are uncommon in New England waters. — Neal Riley, CBS News, 16 Apr. 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for whales
  1. dinosaurs
  2. hits
  3. hides
  4. pounds
  5. giants
  6. punches
  7. whips
  8. licks
Noun
  • Instead of young dinosaurs, these were actually adult examples of an entirely separate species now known as Nanotyrannus lancensis.
    — Andrew Paul, Popular Science, 15 Oct. 2026
  • The results were compared with the skulls of other two-legged meat-eating dinosaurs, such as tyrannosaurs, spinosaurs and raptors.
    — Archie Clarke, CBS News, 14 Oct. 2026
Definition of dinosaurs
Verb
  • But surprise hits like Obsession, Project Hail Mary or The Invite have made this year an especially buoying one for the cinephiles among us.
    — Lily Ford, HollywoodReporter, 9 Oct. 2026
  • Postdeadline mound magician Tyler Mahle hits the market, too.
    — Tyler Estep, AJC.com, 9 Oct. 2026
Definition of hits
Verb
  • What isn’t vintage is mostly custom designed by Levin—a wall-to-wall couch with conversation pit vibes, a wooden bed with an attached bench, a thoughtful floating console that hides a TV.
    — Leonora Epstein, Architectural Digest, 14 Oct. 2026
  • On the day of the scavenger hunt, the team hides its creations around town, while ravenous worm-hunters eagerly await their first hint of where a ceramic worm decorated to look like a pickle, or a crayon, or a rainbow dinosaur, can be found.
    — Camila Pedrosa, Sacbee.com, 12 Oct. 2026
Definition of hides
Verb
  • Higher prices come as Ukraine pounds Russian refineries, forcing Moscow to ban diesel exports.
    — Spencer Kimball, CNBC, 4 Sep. 2026
  • Part of the problem is that every summer, water pounds down on sidewalks in the Treasure Valley, drops rippling on glassy reflective surfaces, all because of sprinkler jets overshooting the grass and landing on pavement.
    — Idaho Statesman, Idaho Statesman, 23 Aug. 2026
Definition of pounds
Noun
  • Shapiro emphasized more than once that media giants courting audiences need to think in terms of generations and affinity groups, not the age and gender demos of yore.
    — Leo Barraclough, Variety, 15 Oct. 2026
  • Bumper earnings from bellwether tech giants Anthropic and TSMC did little to assuage a market that has turned bearish on the AI trade, sending stocks plummeting.
    — Prashant Rao, semafor.com, 15 Oct. 2026
Definition of giants
Verb
  • Separate video of the chaotic confrontation shows two showgirls fighting with a man and a woman, and one of the performers pulls the woman's hair and repeatedly punches her in the face and body.
    — Greg Wehner, FOXNews.com, 8 Oct. 2026
  • Derrick Henry punches it in from 3 yards out a play later to take the lead.
    — Jim Barnes, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 27 Sep. 2026
Definition of punches
Verb
  • Castro whips her head around and follows him, punching him in the back.
    — Iris Kwok, Los Angeles Times, 26 Sep. 2026
  • Green whips out his phone with the fluid motion of a digital native and snaps a photo.
    — Hillary Busis, Vanity Fair, 24 Sep. 2026
Definition of whips
Verb
  • That glib self-confidence is present in McNamara, who licks the doughnut glaze off his fingers before offering his hand to the female detective questioning the one living Jason.
    — Scott Tobias, Vulture, 28 Aug. 2026
  • Later, a woman protractedly licks blue ice cream from a cone, her attempts thwarted by ferocious gusts of wind and sand.
    — Matilda Hague, Variety, 13 Aug. 2026
Definition of licks

Browse Nearby Words

whalers
whales
whaling
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Cite this Entry

“Whales.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/whales. Accessed 19 Oct. 2026.

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