as in kid
a young person who is between infancy and adulthood
playtime's over, it's time to gather up the whelps and head home
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Recent Examples of whelp
Liz O'Connell, MSNBC Newsweek, 30 Apr. 2025
The alpha male was a foster, and his mate whelped — or gave birth — during the same week, making the pack an ideal candidate to receive pups.
—Hayleigh Evans, The Arizona Republic, 29 July 2024
Given its importance as one of two Northwest Atlantic harp seal whelping grounds, the area is one of Nat Geo’s Best Trips for 2020.
—Jennifer Hayes, National Geographic, 19 Dec. 2019
And from Susan’s line, the queen’s breeding program at the Kennels of Windsor whelped hundreds of corgi puppies.
—William Booth, Washington Post, 18 Apr. 2018
From the queen's breeding program at the Kennels of Windsor, hundreds of royal corgis have been whelped.
—William Booth, chicagotribune.com, 18 Apr. 2018
Noun
Owners can help the process by giving them a whelping box.
—Liz O'Connell, MSNBC Newsweek, 30 Apr. 2025
The alpha male was a foster, and his mate whelped — or gave birth — during the same week, making the pack an ideal candidate to receive pups.
—Hayleigh Evans, The Arizona Republic, 29 July 2024
Given its importance as one of two Northwest Atlantic harp seal whelping grounds, the area is one of Nat Geo’s Best Trips for 2020.
—Jennifer Hayes, National Geographic, 19 Dec. 2019
And from Susan’s line, the queen’s breeding program at the Kennels of Windsor whelped hundreds of corgi puppies.
—William Booth, Washington Post, 18 Apr. 2018
From the queen's breeding program at the Kennels of Windsor, hundreds of royal corgis have been whelped.
—William Booth, chicagotribune.com, 18 Apr. 2018
Recent Examples of Synonyms for whelp
Noun
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In August, Reuters reported that Meta allowed its chatbots to have romantic and sensual conversations with kids.—
Ashley Capoot,
CNBC,
17 Oct. 2025
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Each week features new recipe samples, kids’ crafts and community resources.—
Marcus Smith,
Sacbee.com,
17 Oct. 2025
Noun
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About 1,300 people from around the world -- ranging from children as young as 12 years old to elite athletes -- participated in the race.—
Arkansas Online,
Arkansas Online,
17 Oct. 2025
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Hestrin said the child is bedridden and has cerebral palsy as a result of the abuse.—
Madeline Morrison,
NBC news,
17 Oct. 2025
Verb
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Bowie recently sired a calf there, making Fort Worth Zoo elephant matriarch Rasha a great-grandmother.—
Harriet Ramos,
Fort Worth Star-Telegram,
26 Sep. 2025
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The brother lions sired several cubs over their long reign at the zoo.—
Devoun Cetoute,
Miami Herald,
5 Sep. 2025
Noun
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The post, shared on October 6th by u/Affectionate_Lime880, features pictures of the small feline playing with the poster on the porch, however, this is not a domestic cat but a bobcat cub.—
Maria Azzurra Volpe,
MSNBC Newsweek,
14 Oct. 2025
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Avoid them, if possible, especially sows with cubs.—
Marguerite Reiss,
Outdoor Life,
9 Oct. 2025
Verb
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In the footage, the giant pup exhibits a surprising amount of poise to climb up onto the rickety-looking seat.—
Jack Beresford,
MSNBC Newsweek,
14 Oct. 2025
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The award organizers also highlighted the Impact Award, which was won by Brazilian photographer Fernando Faciole for his image of an orphaned giant anteater pup following a human caregiver.—
Jack Guy,
CNN Money,
14 Oct. 2025
Verb
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The novel opens as the teenage Karl Rossmann, whose parents shipped him off to America for fathering a child when he was seduced by the family’s thirty-five-year-old cook, arrives on a steamer in New York harbor and sees the Statue of Liberty holding not the emblematic torch but rather a sword.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
6 Oct. 2025
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In June, the singer filed for a temporary restraining order and alleged that Wagner made false claims about living at her property, being in a relationship with her and fathering her child.—
Bryan West,
USA Today,
23 Sep. 2025
Verb
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The terrified tortoiseshell kitten, later named Mavis, was found on Sunday, September 7 when a passerby saw the white bubble-style bag being thrown into an alley near Clapham Junction station.—
Alice Gibbs,
MSNBC Newsweek,
7 Oct. 2025
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Her carousel began with a photo of the Academy Award-winning actress sitting on the floor, out of frame so that the camera mostly captured her hands holding the black and white kitten up to the lens.—
Angel Saunders,
PEOPLE,
16 Sep. 2025
Verb
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As Southerners always say, kindness begets kindness.—
Patricia Shannon,
Southern Living,
20 Sep. 2025
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Metroid and Castlevania begot the Metroidvania; hell, today, practically every game of any high difficulty gets roped in with soulslikes (referencing Dark Souls).—
Christopher Cruz,
Rolling Stone,
18 Sep. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Whelp.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/whelp. Accessed 19 Oct. 2025.
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