as in dinosaur
something that is unusually large and powerful
a whale of a pickup truck
Synonyms & Similar Words
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
1
as in to hit
to deliver a blow to (someone or something) usually in a strong vigorous manner
whaled the ball so hard that it sailed over the fence and into the neighbor's yard
Synonyms & Similar Words
2
as in to hide
to strike repeatedly with something long and thin or flexible
whaled the rug with a broom to knock the dirt out of it
Synonyms & Similar Words
3
as in to lick
to strike repeatedly
mercilessly whaled the pickpocket for stealing from her purse
Synonyms & Similar Words
Example Sentences
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to
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Recent Examples of whale
Andrew Paul, Popular Science, 4 Feb. 2026
His lack of availability, though, has definitely tempered any interest in the trade market with potentially bigger whales to go get.
—Zach Harper, New York Times, 3 Feb. 2026
Guests can enjoy a variety of diversions, from sound baths to snorkeling and whale-watching.
—John Bowe, Travel + Leisure, 1 Feb. 2026
SeaWorld whale trainer Dawn Brancheau, 40, dies after an orca named Tilikum pulls her into the water after a Dine With Shamu show.
—Dewayne Bevil, The Orlando Sentinel, 31 Jan. 2026
See All Example Sentences for whale
Noun
Other firsts included locating Argentina’s first deep-sea whale fall.
—Andrew Paul, Popular Science, 4 Feb. 2026
His lack of availability, though, has definitely tempered any interest in the trade market with potentially bigger whales to go get.
—Zach Harper, New York Times, 3 Feb. 2026
Guests can enjoy a variety of diversions, from sound baths to snorkeling and whale-watching.
—John Bowe, Travel + Leisure, 1 Feb. 2026
SeaWorld whale trainer Dawn Brancheau, 40, dies after an orca named Tilikum pulls her into the water after a Dine With Shamu show.
—Dewayne Bevil, The Orlando Sentinel, 31 Jan. 2026
See All Example Sentences for whale
Recent Examples of Synonyms for whale
Noun
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The data can’t foresee recessions or pandemics—or the arrival of a technology that might do to the workforce what an asteroid did to the dinosaurs.—
Josh Tyrangiel,
The Atlantic,
10 Feb. 2026
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People from around the world visit to see dinosaur tracks from 113 million years ago in the bed of the Paluxy River or to enjoy other recreational activities, such as fishing, biking and swimming.—
Lana Ferguson,
Dallas Morning News,
10 Feb. 2026
Verb
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As former agent and cap expert Joel Corry told me, the amount that Ross agrees to pay of Tagovailoa’s 2026 salary (for a new team) would not have much effect on his Dolphins’ dead money cap hit provided the trade is made after June 1.—
Barry Jackson,
Miami Herald,
13 Feb. 2026
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Some of the students at Naperville North tried to mimic the coach’s actions, working on their technique, while other appeared to be more focused on hitting the ball to their friend as hard as possible.—
Carolyn Stein,
Chicago Tribune,
13 Feb. 2026
Verb
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This means that bills get hearings, debates happen in public, and legislators are required to vote on issues instead of hiding behind process.—
Eleanor Dearman,
Fort Worth Star-Telegram,
14 Feb. 2026
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Maybe Mark Kelly and several other dissident members of Congress are hiding the sun in a big bag.—
Alexandra Petri,
The Atlantic,
14 Feb. 2026
Verb
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Mitch West, meanwhile, was licking his wounds on Monday night, when snow still hadn’t touched down in his region of South Carolina.—
Brady Brickner-Wood,
New Yorker,
28 Jan. 2026
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England’s Test team are still licking their wounds after their humbling Down Under.—
Sam Dalling,
New York Times,
23 Jan. 2026
Noun
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DeepSeek, Alibaba, and other Chinese tech giants ByteDance and Tencent have been granted conditional approvals by Beijing to purchase a certain amount of H200s, Reuters reported last month, citing anonymous sources.—
John Liu,
CNN Money,
11 Feb. 2026
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Tech giants have repeatedly relied on Section 230, a federal law that shields them from liability over content that their users post, as a defense against safety claims.—
CNN.com Wire Service,
Mercury News,
11 Feb. 2026
Verb
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Abigail Boyd, an opposition Green lawmaker in the state parliament, said she had been punched by officers while attempting to vacate the site.—
Reuters,
NBC news,
10 Feb. 2026
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But McCalla then got up, pursued Mudd and punched him.—
Bay Area News Group,
Mercury News,
10 Feb. 2026
Verb
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It’s inspired by a French silk pie, but without any eggs to whip.—
Alana Al-Hatlani,
Southern Living,
12 Feb. 2026
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For season 1 of The Boss, InStyle Editor in Chief Sally Holmes taps Julia Fox (Uncut Gems, Him, The Moment) as the Temporary-Permanent Ambassador of Slayage in an effort to whip the InStyle team’s style into shape ahead of New York Fashion Week.—
InStyle Editors,
InStyle,
11 Feb. 2026
Verb
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But that gives us a different look and the versatility of being able to play the two of them together and pound the glass on both ends is a weapon for us.—
Anthony Chiang,
Miami Herald,
13 Feb. 2026
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That means sneakers, ideally a pair that’s durable enough to withstand pounding the pavements, will be essential to your roster of footwear.—
Natalie Hammond,
Condé Nast Traveler,
11 Feb. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Whale.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/whale. Accessed 16 Feb. 2026.
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