as in creatures
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
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Recent Examples of animals
Scythia’s plants are its animals, and vice versa, blooming and breeding in alternate generations.
—
Stephanie Burt, New Yorker, 1 Apr. 2026
Yet rats may be one of the most awe-worthy animals on the planet.
—Jason Bittel, Big Think, 31 Mar. 2026
While people are taking peptides for all kinds of reasons — tissue repair, skin health, body composition, immune function, longevity and so on, the evidence base mostly comes from lab work done with animals or cell cultures, along with some small studies involving humans.
—Will Stone, NPR, 31 Mar. 2026
In preclinical trials involving both small and large animals, a single injection into the limb reduced scarring and significantly improved heart function.
—Khloe Quill, FOXNews.com, 31 Mar. 2026
The usual method of aging animals — counting rings on teeth or bones — doesn’t work for these slow-growing sharks.
—Samantha Agate, Miami Herald, 31 Mar. 2026
Counting rings on teeth or bones doesn’t work well for these slow-growing animals.
—Samantha Agate, Charlotte Observer, 31 Mar. 2026
Government biologists say only about 50 of the animals remain.
—Matthew Brown, Los Angeles Times, 31 Mar. 2026
Exposure to a combination of PFAS and pesticide compounds may be more harmful than a single chemical, some research in animals suggests, the group said.
—Mike Snider, USA Today, 24 Mar. 2026
Stephanie Burt, New Yorker, 1 Apr. 2026
Yet rats may be one of the most awe-worthy animals on the planet.
—Jason Bittel, Big Think, 31 Mar. 2026
While people are taking peptides for all kinds of reasons — tissue repair, skin health, body composition, immune function, longevity and so on, the evidence base mostly comes from lab work done with animals or cell cultures, along with some small studies involving humans.
—Will Stone, NPR, 31 Mar. 2026
In preclinical trials involving both small and large animals, a single injection into the limb reduced scarring and significantly improved heart function.
—Khloe Quill, FOXNews.com, 31 Mar. 2026
The usual method of aging animals — counting rings on teeth or bones — doesn’t work for these slow-growing sharks.
—Samantha Agate, Miami Herald, 31 Mar. 2026
Counting rings on teeth or bones doesn’t work well for these slow-growing animals.
—Samantha Agate, Charlotte Observer, 31 Mar. 2026
Government biologists say only about 50 of the animals remain.
—Matthew Brown, Los Angeles Times, 31 Mar. 2026
Exposure to a combination of PFAS and pesticide compounds may be more harmful than a single chemical, some research in animals suggests, the group said.
—Mike Snider, USA Today, 24 Mar. 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for animals
Noun
-
Riverside County Department of Animal Services officials are seeking help from the public in locating a pair of dogs that were recently involved in an attack on a wild burro, part of a series of attacks on the creatures dating back to late 2025.—
Dean Fioresi,
CBS News,
4 Apr. 2026
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The house is falling apart, bats in the fireplace, ants marching unfazed across the floor, smells of dead creatures decaying in the walls.—
John Warner,
Chicago Tribune,
4 Apr. 2026
Noun
-
The tale spun down that the manger star cloud was where the beasts were feeding.—
Mike Lynch,
Twin Cities,
22 Mar. 2026
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Costumed beasts and creepy crawlies aren’t limited to Halloween.—
Christopher Arnott,
Hartford Courant,
21 Mar. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Animals.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/animals. Accessed 5 Apr. 2026.
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