whelk

noun

ˈ(h)welk How to pronounce whelk (audio)
Definition of whelknext
as in blister
a small, inflamed swelling of the skin unsightly whelks covered the beggar's face

Synonyms & Similar Words

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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 whelk Smaller critters — hermit crabs, lightning whelks and snails — skittered along the seafloor. — Max Chesnes, The Orlando Sentinel, 6 Feb. 2026 And for those looking to collect shells, this is the place for rare angel wings, whelks, and sand dollars. — Carrie Honaker, Travel + Leisure, 25 Jan. 2026 Copper mined in the Great Lakes was traded as far south as Florida, and lightning whelks from the Gulf Coast were traded as far north as Canada. — Adam Crepelle, MSNBC Newsweek, 19 Nov. 2025 On board the 30-foot Salford sailing whelk yacht, there’s silence except for the creak of ropes and gurgle of our wake. — Cnt Editors, Condé Nast Traveler, 3 Sep. 2024 See All Example Sentences for whelk
Recent Examples of Synonyms for whelk
  1. blister
  2. boil
  3. pustule
  4. pimple
  5. pock
  6. papule
Noun
  • Venable said the blister would be monitored but that Martin would make his next start against the Cubs.
    — Paul Sullivan, Chicago Tribune, 13 Aug. 2026
  • Ginn has been out since July 19 with a blister on his right middle finger.
    — ABC News, ABC News, 2 Aug. 2026
Definition of blister
Noun
  • While water service was restored to customers in Pāhala, a boil water notice was issued out of an abundance of caution.
    — ABC News, ABC News, 18 Aug. 2026
  • In January, potential jurors waited downstairs of the Orange County Courthouse as tensions came to a boil between Edgar and his attorney after Edgar wrote a letter to the judge alleging Barrett refused to explore an insanity defense.
    — Cristóbal Reyes, The Orlando Sentinel, 17 Aug. 2026
Definition of boil
Noun
  • This causes small but often painful red pustules that cluster at the places where the hairstyle is pulling the tightest.
    — Ayren Jackson-Cannady, Allure, 20 Aug. 2026
  • In animals, the bacterium causes pustules and lesions, predominantly in cattle, sheep, and horses.
    — Helen Branswell, STAT, 11 May 2026
Definition of pustule
Noun
  • The biggest overnight mistakes include sleeping in makeup, skipping moisturizer, over-exfoliating, using SPF as a night cream and picking at pimples in bed.
    — Samantha Agate, Sacbee.com, 17 Aug. 2026
  • Blind pimple that never breaks through the skin but causes undue chaos below?
    — Kiana Murden, Vogue, 17 Aug. 2026
Definition of pimple
Noun
  • Many have irregular or pock-marked shapes, while others have a smooth crust from their time burning up in our atmosphere.
    — Adam Lark, The Conversation, 16 June 2026
  • Inoculation involved taking pus from a pock of someone with a not-very-severe case of smallpox, making a cut in the arm of the person to be inoculated, and rubbing the pus into the cut.
    — ArsTechnica, ArsTechnica, 29 May 2026
Definition of pock
Noun
  • More papules emerge as blisters burst, prolonging the torment.
    — Beth Mole, ArsTechnica, 24 Apr. 2026
  • In fact, one of the most common triggers of rosacea, which is characterized by flushing, swelling, spider veins, papules, and pustules, is exposure to sunlight.
    — Sherri Gordon, Health, 15 Sep. 2025
Definition of papule

Browse Nearby Words

wheezing
whelk
whelks
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Cite this Entry

“Whelk.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/whelk. Accessed 23 Aug. 2026.

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More from Merriam-Webster on whelk

Nglish: Translation of whelk for Spanish Speakers

Britannica.com: Encyclopedia article about whelk

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