whales 1 of 2

noun

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

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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

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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
He is venerated as a patron saint of sailors, mariners, travelers, and whales. — Encyclopedia Britannica, 30 Oct. 2026 In nature, larger animals, such as elephants and whales, tend to live longer than smaller animals, such as mice and shrews, Teeling says. — Jackie Flynn Mogensen, Scientific American, 28 Oct. 2026 Social media footage showed the whales traveling in a pod and within feet of a few boats, leaving guests awed. — Andrew J. Campa, Los Angeles Times, 28 Oct. 2026 Although some whale species migrate seasonally, Omura’s whales mainly inhabit tropical waters year-round. — Angel Saunders, PEOPLE, 22 Oct. 2026 Five mammal groups – primates, carnivores, whales, elephants and rhinos – received 86% of available funding, despite accounting for only one-third of threatened mammal projects. — David Ginsburg, The Conversation, 20 Oct. 2026 Across most of the animal kingdom bigger animals outlive smaller ones, part of why whales tend to outlast rodents. — Hanna Wickes, Charlotte Observer, 17 Oct. 2026 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
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
  • The creature belonged to a family of nonavian dinosaurs known as the caenagnathids characterized by sleek physiologies and toothless beaks.
    — Andrew Paul, Popular Science, 28 Oct. 2026
  • The sale is just more evidence that dinosaurs have become serious trophy objects for wealthy collectors, joining blue-chip paintings, rare watches, and sports memorabilia at the top end of the luxury market.
    — Daniel Cassady, ARTnews.com, 27 Oct. 2026
Definition of dinosaurs
Verb
  • Emmanwori is tied for fourth on the defense with 27 tackles, despite missing the season opener, and has two sacks, seven quarterback hits and one pass breakup.
    — Brad Biggs, Chicago Tribune, 1 Nov. 2026
  • Senators elected this November will be in office in 2032, when the retirement trust fund depletion date hits.
    — Lorie Konish, CNBC, 1 Nov. 2026
Definition of hits
Verb
  • While the fabric is satin, the black color hides stains effortlessly.
    — Anna Traver, InStyle, 25 Oct. 2026
  • The malicious software hides inside the phone's firmware, giving attackers powerful access that ordinary apps never receive.
    — Kurt Knutsson, FOXNews.com, 23 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
  • Anthropic itself revealed in an IPO prospectus this week that almost half of its revenue comes from fellow tech giants Amazon, Google, and Microsoft.
    — Jeronimo Gonzalez, semafor.com, 30 Oct. 2026
  • The company, which declined to disclose a valuation, also announced that financial giants Synchrony and Experian had joined the latest round as strategic investors.
    — Jeff John Roberts, Fortune, 28 Oct. 2026
Definition of giants
Verb
  • Then the officer punches him in the face twice and uses a Taser.
    — Shelley Bortz, CBS News, 15 Oct. 2026
  • Belgal is seen reversing and then driving out of the parking spot as one of the armed men punches the driver's side window and breaks the glass.
    — ABC News, ABC News, 14 Oct. 2026
Definition of punches
Verb
  • Paddling along the shoreline of a small lake in the wilderness, as pine and spruce trees hover over the dark water’s edge and the wind whips waves against the canoe, a human knows her place.
    — Story Hinckley, Christian Science Monitor, 28 Oct. 2026
  • Castro whips her head around and follows him, punching him in the back.
    — Iris Kwok, Los Angeles Times, 26 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 3 Nov. 2026.

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