javelins

noun

plural of javelin
as in spears
a weapon with a long straight handle and sharp head or blade from atop his horse the warrior hurled a javelin that pierced the chest of his hapless foe

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 javelins Humans have been throwing javelins for a few hundred thousand years, yet performance has largely plateaued. — R. Alexander Bentley, The Conversation, 26 Feb. 2026 The flowers and ferns of the Mani hills—purple spears, white arrows, feathery javelins—slowly flatten into the horizon. — Antonia Quirke, Condé Nast Traveler, 8 May 2024 The Tofinu took refuge in the lagoons along the Bight of Benin, a core area of the slave trade, venturing forth in canoes with harpoons, javelins, and swords to fight off raiders from powerful nearby kingdoms. — Laurent Dubois, The Atlantic, 6 Jan. 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for javelins
  1. spears
  2. lances
Noun
  • The unrest began in mid-March but has intensified, leaving at least three dead as vigilantes armed with spears, clubs, and whips assaulted migrants and destroyed their homes.
    — Lauren Morganbesser, semafor.com, 28 June 2026
  • Mexico were being booed, booed furiously, but even that low rumble failed to drown out the whistles, hurled from the stands of the Estadio Akron with the ferocity and barb of spears.
    — Jacob Whitehead, New York Times, 19 June 2026
Definition of spears
Noun
  • Bottom cleaners use lances to scrape biofoul off hulls.
    — David Goldman, CNN Money, 23 June 2026
  • Um dos lances mais bonitos da nossa história.
    — Stuart James, New York Times, 16 June 2026
Definition of lances

Browse Nearby Words

javelin
javelins
jaw
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Cite this Entry

“Javelins.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/javelins. Accessed 8 Jul. 2026.

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More from Merriam-Webster on javelins

Nglish: Translation of javelins for Spanish Speakers

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