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
Allison Tibaldi, USA Today, 18 Apr. 2026
That will give commercial crabbers using traditional vertical lines — the ones that can entangle migrating whales — a little less than two weeks to wrap up their seasons in San Francisco and Half Moon Bay.
—Linda Zavoral, Mercury News, 17 Apr. 2026
Families will find no shortage of things to do with the kids, such as biking through parks and visiting dolphins, sharks, and beluga whales at the famed Georgia Aquarium.
—Ellie Nan Storck, Travel + Leisure, 16 Apr. 2026
Of the 70 dead whales included in this study, 30 of them had evidence of trauma associated with being hit by ships, but many other whales that died there couldn’t be reached to be examined.
—Daniel Crocker, The Conversation, 13 Apr. 2026
Still, the whales had been known to hunt sharks off the coast of California and around Australia.
—Michael H Gavshon, CBS News, 12 Apr. 2026
The attraction will continue to have real arctic animals such as walruses and beluga whales on exhibit as part of its exit.
—Dewayne Bevil, The Orlando Sentinel, 9 Apr. 2026
Yet, unlike such marine mammals as whales and seals, sea otters lack a thick layer of blubber to insulate them.
—Encyclopedia Britannica, 8 Apr. 2026
Neal Riley, CBS News, 16 Apr. 2026
Noun
Our days were spent beach combing on semi-secret islands with up-close views of whales, porpoises, and eagles.
—Allison Tibaldi, USA Today, 18 Apr. 2026
That will give commercial crabbers using traditional vertical lines — the ones that can entangle migrating whales — a little less than two weeks to wrap up their seasons in San Francisco and Half Moon Bay.
—Linda Zavoral, Mercury News, 17 Apr. 2026
Families will find no shortage of things to do with the kids, such as biking through parks and visiting dolphins, sharks, and beluga whales at the famed Georgia Aquarium.
—Ellie Nan Storck, Travel + Leisure, 16 Apr. 2026
Of the 70 dead whales included in this study, 30 of them had evidence of trauma associated with being hit by ships, but many other whales that died there couldn’t be reached to be examined.
—Daniel Crocker, The Conversation, 13 Apr. 2026
Still, the whales had been known to hunt sharks off the coast of California and around Australia.
—Michael H Gavshon, CBS News, 12 Apr. 2026
The attraction will continue to have real arctic animals such as walruses and beluga whales on exhibit as part of its exit.
—Dewayne Bevil, The Orlando Sentinel, 9 Apr. 2026
Yet, unlike such marine mammals as whales and seals, sea otters lack a thick layer of blubber to insulate them.
—Encyclopedia Britannica, 8 Apr. 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
Noun
-
Small plastic children’s toys lined at the top of the car — dinosaurs and dump trucks and sharks — creating their own shrunken skyline in front of the Vertigo, signaling that young kids likely lived there.—
Julissa James,
Los Angeles Times,
17 Apr. 2026
-
Though not as big or catastrophic as the asteroid theorized to have wiped out the dinosaurs 66 million years ago, Apophis would cause widespread destruction up to several hundred kilometers from its impact site.—
Eric Lagatta,
USA Today,
16 Apr. 2026
Verb
-
Brett Baty will get the bulk of his playing time, especially since the utilityman also hits left-handed.—
Abbey Mastracco,
New York Daily News,
16 Apr. 2026
-
Up next, she's set to star in the romantic comedy Office Romance opposite Brett Goldstein, which hits Netflix in June 2026.—
Andrea Wurzburger,
PEOPLE,
15 Apr. 2026
Verb
-
Wall hooks catch sun hats or coats, depending on the season, and the vintage Oushak rug hides stains with its existing patina.—
Betsy Cribb Watson,
Southern Living,
16 Apr. 2026
-
This party-girl persona hides a tender heart.—
E.R. Pulgar,
Pitchfork,
16 Apr. 2026
Verb
-
Irons pounds the drums like Bam-Bam smashing on two garbage-can lids.—
Owen Gleiberman,
Variety,
13 Mar. 2026
-
Macron said France is expending diplomatic capital to ensure a return to calm and to allow for the Lebanese armed forces to assert themselves as Israel pounds Hezbollah positions.—
Sylvie Corbet,
Los Angeles Times,
9 Mar. 2026
Noun
-
While these tech giants incorporate their AI chips as part of their respective cloud computing platforms so customers can access them, Meta's MTIA chips are used entirely for internal purposes.—
Katie Tarasov,Jordan Novet,
CNBC,
14 Apr. 2026
-
Increasingly, tech giants are paying to construct massive plants to provide energy directly to their data centers without connecting to the grid.—
Bloomberg,
Mercury News,
14 Apr. 2026
Verb
-
On instinct, Lindsay punches her in the face.—
Rafaela Bassili,
Vulture,
17 Apr. 2026
-
Seconds later, the man in a New York police vest punches the unidentified man in the face.—
Marlene Lenthang,
NBC news,
16 Apr. 2026
Verb
-
Canty is one of the coaches who whips students into shape.—
Terell Bailey,
CBS News,
16 Apr. 2026
-
When a dog repeatedly wags and whips its tail against hard surfaces, the tip can split open, bruise or break.—
Miriam Fauzia,
Dallas Morning News,
21 Jan. 2026
Verb
-
Then, Mitski licks up the blood on the girl’s finger.—
Jason P. Frank,
Vulture,
16 Jan. 2026
-
After the drill, Ruin rolls onto his back, then licks a reporter's nose.—
Megan Sauer
Tasia Jensen,
CNBC,
14 Jan. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Whales.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/whales. Accessed 22 Apr. 2026.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
