How to Use dorsal fin in a Sentence

dorsal fin

noun
  • His dorsal fin breaks the surface just after the fly goes past him.
    — Ralph Tuttle, Outdoor Life, 25 June 2026
  • The baby whale was later identified with a deep gash near its dorsal fin.
    — Moná Thomas, PEOPLE, 27 Oct. 2025
  • Other anglers prefer tube jigs or a jig with a tiny minnow impaled through its dorsal fin.
    — Cory Schmidt, Outdoor Life, 15 Apr. 2026
  • This fish, distinguished by its long whisker-like barbels and unique dorsal fin, was found in a small stream within a deep gorge.
    — Real-Time News Team, Miami Herald, 26 Sep. 2025
  • Researchers are able to identify Old Thom based on his very distinct dorsal fin.
    — Rick Sobey, Boston Herald, 12 Aug. 2025
  • There is nothing quite like the thrill of spotting a dorsal fin slicing through open water or watching a pod leap through the surf beside your boat.
    — Alexandra Emanuelli, Southern Living, 18 Sep. 2025
  • It was tagged below the dorsal fin, something Lambert is familiar with.
    — Jon Chapman, Miami Herald, 27 Aug. 2025
  • Moctezuma’s pod was identified by the distinct markings on the orcas’ dorsal fins.
    — Aamir Khollam, Interesting Engineering, 3 Nov. 2025
  • That gives the wearer a look akin to the shark's infamously fearsome dorsal fin, along with plenty of extra thrust and speed.
    — New Atlas, 8 Sep. 2025
  • Above the shimmering waterline, a pair of slick gray dorsal fins emerge—a mother swimming alongside her child.
    — Hannah Towey, Condé Nast Traveler, 22 Apr. 2026
  • The video shows the shark's dorsal fin cutting across the water before the giant fish drifts along the side of the kayak, its skin visible just below the surface.
    — Soo Kim, MSNBC Newsweek, 29 Aug. 2025
  • The most notable additions to the exterior are the air intake on the roof, the carbon-fiber dorsal fin, the enlarged rear wing, and a new hood.
    — Viju Mathew, Robb Report, 17 Nov. 2025
  • Giles examined the fins and saddle patches (a swirly white marking behind the dorsal fin) to identify these whales as part of J-pod.
    — Kelso Harper, Scientific American, 16 Dec. 2025
  • Sharks are often imagined cruising just beneath the waves, dorsal fin protruding from the dark, ocean waters to alert people of their incoming doom.
    — Melissa Cristina Márquez, Forbes.com, 1 Sep. 2025
  • Conservación ConCiencia The first thing most people tend to notice about a shark is its dorsal fin.
    — Melissa Cristina Márquez, Forbes.com, 1 July 2026
  • And the tracking device attached to his dorsal fin is helping researchers uncover secrets about the elusive apex predator.
    — Bill Kearney, Sun Sentinel, 22 Jan. 2026
  • The order was withdrawn a week later, but had scientists never tagged the shark’s dorsal fin, it likely wouldn’t have been targeted by this precrime unit.
    — Ross Andersen, The Atlantic, 7 Sep. 2025
  • But when a wall of water crashes through the windows, turning the living room into a swimming pool that’s soon crawling with dorsal fins, the kids are left to fend for themselves.
    — David Rooney, HollywoodReporter, 10 Apr. 2026
  • Kikfin says the dorsal fin further improves mobility, helping quickly switch directions by simply turning their head.
    — New Atlas, 8 Sep. 2025
  • Right whales, with their characteristic drooping dorsal fin, are most often seen along the Eastern Seaboard, but over the past few years two of them were spotted in the Gulf, one with a calf.
    — Orlando Sentinel Editorial Board, The Orlando Sentinel, 8 Apr. 2026
  • Sticking Variety Remora adhesive disks are an evolutionary adaptation of the fish’s first dorsal fin, the one that in other species sits on top of the body, just behind the head and gill covers.
    — Jacek Krywko, ArsTechnica, 9 Aug. 2025
  • One of the largest great white sharks tagged by scientists along the East Coast is lingering off North Carolina for reasons that aren’t quite clear, according to a tracker fitted to its dorsal fin.
    — Mark Price, Charlotte Observer, 11 Feb. 2026
  • Beyond confirmation that their dorsal fins are highly dynamic and flexible, researchers said, observationssuggest white sharks may use them to investigate objects through physical contact.
    — Lauren Liebhaber, Miami Herald, 12 Sep. 2025
  • The plot itself isn’t extraordinary but the critters populating this forest wonderland are, from deer that have the DNA of trees (an enchanting image) to a rainbowed grouper with a dorsal fin (voiced by Cedric the Entertainer).
    — Randy Myers, Mercury News, 7 May 2026
  • Data from a tracking transmitter attached to its dorsal fin shows that the whale’s death likely occurred on May 6 or 7, according to Till Backhaus, the environment minister for the state of Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania.
    — ABC News, 12 June 2026
  • Southern right whales — distinguished by their bulky, black bodies and lack of dorsal fins — are found throughout the southern hemisphere, according to the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA).
    — Brendan Rascius, Miami Herald, 27 Aug. 2025

Some of these examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'dorsal fin.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

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