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
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
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show current usage.
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Recent Examples of whales
Jim Edwards, Fortune, 6 Feb. 2026
With the storm and dead whales came polar bears.
—Scott Haugen, Outdoor Life, 4 Feb. 2026
His lack of availability, though, has definitely tempered any interest in the trade market with potentially bigger whales to go get.
—Zach Harper, New York Times, 3 Feb. 2026
An aerial survey team of South Carolina wildlife officials have spotted groups of seven or eight whales socializing, something that hasn’t happened in a while, Thompson of Georgia DNR said.
—Kristi Swartz, AJC.com, 30 Jan. 2026
Humpback whales are known to feed near the surface, especially when chasing schools of herring, which can sometimes bring them close to boats or kayakers.
—Ashley Vega, PEOPLE, 30 Jan. 2026
Ninety million years after our lineages split, humans are beginning to listen to whales in a new way.
—Big Think, 29 Jan. 2026
The Mendocino Coast is a bustling place in terms of wildlife—think California sea lions, whales, and birds of all sorts, among other creatures.
—Chelsee Lowe, Travel + Leisure, 28 Jan. 2026
Canada's last captive whales have received a reprieve from death after the government conditionally approved a plan Monday to export them to the United States.
—CBS News, 27 Jan. 2026
Noun
The whales are selling up, according to Jefferies analyst Andrew Moss.
—Jim Edwards, Fortune, 6 Feb. 2026
With the storm and dead whales came polar bears.
—Scott Haugen, Outdoor Life, 4 Feb. 2026
His lack of availability, though, has definitely tempered any interest in the trade market with potentially bigger whales to go get.
—Zach Harper, New York Times, 3 Feb. 2026
An aerial survey team of South Carolina wildlife officials have spotted groups of seven or eight whales socializing, something that hasn’t happened in a while, Thompson of Georgia DNR said.
—Kristi Swartz, AJC.com, 30 Jan. 2026
Humpback whales are known to feed near the surface, especially when chasing schools of herring, which can sometimes bring them close to boats or kayakers.
—Ashley Vega, PEOPLE, 30 Jan. 2026
Ninety million years after our lineages split, humans are beginning to listen to whales in a new way.
—Big Think, 29 Jan. 2026
The Mendocino Coast is a bustling place in terms of wildlife—think California sea lions, whales, and birds of all sorts, among other creatures.
—Chelsee Lowe, Travel + Leisure, 28 Jan. 2026
Canada's last captive whales have received a reprieve from death after the government conditionally approved a plan Monday to export them to the United States.
—CBS News, 27 Jan. 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for whales
Noun
-
Instead of all the man-eating dinosaurs breaking free of their exhibits, everything remained hunky-dory, and the guests actually enjoyed their time at the resort.—
Nick Romano,
Entertainment Weekly,
6 Feb. 2026
-
Still, a young kid is a young kid no matter the era, and to fulfill his wish of seeing real dinosaurs, Arco disobeys his parents.—
Carlos Aguilar,
Variety,
6 Feb. 2026
Verb
-
For Rios, the celebration hits home — quite literally — as a Bay Area native.—
Ryan Morik,
FOXNews.com,
4 Feb. 2026
-
The deadline that will accompany the NHL’s Olympic roster freeze, which hits at noon Pacific Time on Wednesday, shouldn’t be viewed as a prequel for the actual trade deadline.—
Thomas Drance,
New York Times,
4 Feb. 2026
Verb
-
That’s why scrolling by date and scrubbing through videos still works — search hides uncertainty, scrolling shows everything.—
Ken Colburn,
AZCentral.com,
8 Feb. 2026
-
The one is Sohni Ammi, her feisty mother-in-law, whose sharp tongue hides a big heart, while the other is Bholi, a quiet and wise neighbor.—
Georg Szalai,
HollywoodReporter,
4 Feb. 2026
Verb
-
In the present, Simon (now played by Yahya Abdul-Mateen II) pounds his car’s steering wheel, driving away from wreckage.—
JP Mangalindan,
Time,
27 Jan. 2026
-
The claw then releases the broken bikes and pounds them down once more for good measure.—
Mack DeGeurin,
Popular Science,
14 Jan. 2026
Noun
-
The same story played out in music, where AI tools lowered barriers to entry but platform economics still favored a few giants.—
Aisha Alves,
Rolling Stone,
3 Feb. 2026
-
Such giants have been hampered by worries that their stock prices shot too high and became too expensive following their years-long dominance of the market.—
Stan Choe,
Los Angeles Times,
3 Feb. 2026
Verb
-
For podcasts, streams, voiceovers and video calls, this unit punches above its weight.—
New Atlas,
New Atlas,
24 Jan. 2026
-
This is really reminding me of that House episode where the runway model punches another model out and then collapses on the catwalk.—
Emma Specter,
Vogue,
22 Jan. 2026
Verb
-
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
-
Benbrook whips Diamond Hill-Jarvis Benbrook stayed on pace for a playoff berth in District 8-4A as the Lady Bobcats thumped Fort Worth Diamond Hill-Jarvis 55-7.—
Darren Lauber,
Fort Worth Star-Telegram,
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 10 Feb. 2026.
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