echolocation
noun
echo·lo·ca·tion
ˌe-kō-lō-ˈkā-shən 
: a physiological process for locating distant or invisible objects (such as prey) by sound waves reflected back to the emitter (such as a bat) from the objects
Examples of echolocation in a Sentence
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Outsmarting the noise Many animals rely on echolocation — emitting sound waves and interpreting the returning echoes — to navigate and hunt.
—
Mrigakshi Dixit, Interesting Engineering, 19 May 2026
Unlike toothed whales, which navigate using echolocation, baleen whales rely on a combination of tools like sight, the currents of the ocean, and—according to some scientists—Earth’s magnetic field.
—Jessica Camille Aguirre, New Yorker, 2 May 2026
This ability, coupled with the ability to navigate at night by using a system of acoustic orientation (echolocation), has made the bats a highly diverse and populous order.
—Encyclopedia Britannica, 2 Apr. 2026
Bats do not rely only on vision and instead use echolocation to perceive the world.
—Nitin Sanket, The Conversation, 27 Mar. 2026
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Mrigakshi Dixit, Interesting Engineering, 19 May 2026
Unlike toothed whales, which navigate using echolocation, baleen whales rely on a combination of tools like sight, the currents of the ocean, and—according to some scientists—Earth’s magnetic field.
—Jessica Camille Aguirre, New Yorker, 2 May 2026
This ability, coupled with the ability to navigate at night by using a system of acoustic orientation (echolocation), has made the bats a highly diverse and populous order.
—Encyclopedia Britannica, 2 Apr. 2026
Bats do not rely only on vision and instead use echolocation to perceive the world.
—Nitin Sanket, The Conversation, 27 Mar. 2026
See All Example Sentences for echolocation
Cite this Entry
“Echolocation.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/echolocation. Accessed 20 May. 2026.
Copy CitationKids Definition
echolocation
noun
echo·lo·ca·tion
ˌek-ō-lō-ˈkā-shən
: a process for locating distant or invisible objects by means of sound waves reflected back to the sender from the objects
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