as in creature
one of the lower animals as distinguished from human beings
we saw a lot of animals at the wildlife refuge—cranes, alligators, deer, a fox, even an armadillo
Synonyms & Similar Words
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as in physical
of or relating to the human body
had intellectual as well as animal needs
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of animal
Kelli Arseneau,
USA Today,
1 July 2026
The animals have been seen on airport runways, walking on golf courses, roaming near schools and causing panic in supermarkets and hot spring resorts almost on a daily basis.
—
CBS News,
30 June 2026
Payton Turkeltaub,
Variety,
13 Feb. 2026
Not quite plant, not quite animal; delicious and wild and rare.
—
Callie Sumlin,
Bon Appetit Magazine,
15 Oct. 2025
See All Example Sentences for animal
Noun
Rabies can also be transmitted through direct contact with brain or nervous system tissue from an infected animal.
—
Kelli Arseneau,
USA Today,
1 July 2026
The animals have been seen on airport runways, walking on golf courses, roaming near schools and causing panic in supermarkets and hot spring resorts almost on a daily basis.
—
CBS News,
30 June 2026
Adjective
And much like the fictional sport’s real-world counterpart, in this all-animal cinematic universe, roarball is the ultimate culture-definer.
—
Payton Turkeltaub,
Variety,
13 Feb. 2026
Not quite plant, not quite animal; delicious and wild and rare.
—
Callie Sumlin,
Bon Appetit Magazine,
15 Oct. 2025
See All Example Sentences for animal
Recent Examples of Synonyms for animal
Noun
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After all, the cove belongs to the sea, the habitat of the creatures in question.
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Or perhaps more accurately, like a gleeful romp with friends through a haunted-house attraction at a regional fair, with various creepy creatures leaping suddenly out of the darkness.
Adjective
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Balogun crashed into Bosnia’s Tarik Muharemović, landing his foot on top of Muharemović’s during the physical match.
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Hawaiian Tropic’s zinc oxide formula, a physical UV blocker, brushes on with a matte, translucent finish and leaves no white cast on most skin tones.
Noun
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Each song is about a different mythical beast, with a moral within each story.
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Perhaps another beast could be used for making hamburgers instead.
Adjective
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According to The Sun, Garland was named in court documents in the conviction of Vitor Mazzer, who was found guilty of two counts of grievous bodily harm with intent during New Year’s Eve in 2019.
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Nandito Badea, 21, and George Stana, 25, were found guilty by a jury last month of wounding with intent to cause grievous bodily harm.
Cite this Entry
“Animal.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/animal. Accessed 5 Jul. 2026.
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