How to Use oarfish in a Sentence

oarfish

noun
  • And that lore may be the oarfish’s most notable claim to fame.
    — Grace Toohey, Los Angeles Times, 15 Aug. 2024
  • Scientists don’t know why these oarfish have died and washed ashore.
    — Karen Garcia, Los Angeles Times, 21 Nov. 2024
  • Photos show the anglers standing next to the massive oarfish.
    — Aspen Pflughoeft, Miami Herald, 5 June 2024
  • The oarfish held by the CIMI staff who pulled it out of the water.
    — James Carlton, Discover Magazine, 17 Oct. 2013
  • The giant oarfish, on the other hand, can be more difficult to monitor.
    — Claire Bugos, Discover Magazine, 28 May 2021
  • Live oarfish sightings are more rare, reports Steven Hill for Field and Stream.
    — Margaret Osborne, Smithsonian Magazine, 6 July 2022
  • Mermaids, sea serpents, manatees and giant oarfish may not appear to have much in common.
    — Nora McGreevy, Smithsonian Magazine, 21 Dec. 2020
  • Two dead oarfish have washed ashore in Southern California waters in the last few months.
    — Amaris Encinas, USA TODAY, 13 Nov. 2024
  • The display in the main galleria is to include a life-size gyotaku print of the oarfish by artist Dwight Hwang.
    — City News Service, San Diego Union-Tribune, 23 Aug. 2024
  • The description noted that seeing even one oarfish near shore is rare and that spotting two in the same place is highly unusual.
    — Hanna Wickes, Charlotte Observer, 11 Mar. 2026
  • Seeing even one oarfish near shore is rare, the description noted, and spotting two in the same place is highly unusual.
    — Hanna Wickes, Kansas City Star, 11 Mar. 2026
  • This particular oarfish measured 12 feet long—though the biggest of the species can grow up to 36 feet long.
    — Sarah Kuta, Smithsonian Magazine, 20 Aug. 2024
  • The tales of sea serpents that terrified seafarers in days of yore may have been inspired by the mysterious oarfish.
    — Discover Magazine, 29 June 2010
  • Advertisement Still, the oarfish, which can reach up to 30 feet long, continues to draw much interest.
    — Grace Toohey, Los Angeles Times, 15 Aug. 2024
  • The video description on Pittenger’s post noted that seeing even one oarfish near shore is rare and that spotting two in the same place is highly unusual.
    — Hanna Wickes, Miami Herald, 11 Mar. 2026
  • Marine biologists are eager to learn more about the oarfish and its neighbors—surprisingly, so are biomechanicists.
    — Rachel Brown, National Geographic, 17 Feb. 2017
  • Pepperell writes that there have been reports of oarfish that measure up to 55 feet long, but these unsubstantiated accounts are most likely just fish tales.
    — Discover Magazine, 29 June 2010
  • Earlier this year, beachgoers spotted a live 12-foot oarfish in New Zealand, but the fish died shortly after.
    — Margaret Osborne, Smithsonian Magazine, 6 July 2022
  • According to The Ocean Conservancy, an oarfish washing ashore could have a darker meaning.
    — Marina Watts, People.com, 19 Nov. 2024
  • Scientists believe the oarfish sightings could be related to changing ocean conditions but emphasize the need for further research.
    — Anthony Robledo, USA TODAY, 20 Nov. 2024
  • Footage of the incident has been widely shared on social media sparking concerns of looming disaster because of folklore surrounding the oarfish.
    — Dan Perry, Newsweek, 19 Feb. 2025
  • Research published in 2018 shows a correlation between oarfish strandings and El Niño years.
    — David Bressan, Forbes, 24 Feb. 2025
  • After successfully returning the first fish to the ocean, the group continued walking down the beach — only to discover a second oarfish in a similar predicament.
    — Hanna Wickes, Kansas City Star, 11 Mar. 2026
  • The oarfish's eerie, serpentine appearance and deep-sea origins have cemented its reputation as a creature of mystery and superstition.
    — Dan Perry, Newsweek, 19 Feb. 2025
  • In Japanese mythology, oarfish are viewed as harbingers of doom, signaling impending earthquakes.
    — Amanda Holpuch, New York Times, 20 Feb. 2025
  • According to the Scripps Institution, oarfish are incredibly rare.
    — Hannah Peart, NBC News, 17 Nov. 2024
  • In August, a group spotted a 12-foot, dead oarfish while snorkeling in La Jolla, California.
    — Ashley J. Dimella Fox News, Fox News, 20 Nov. 2024
  • Two oarfish — long, ribbon-like animals that normally inhabit ocean depths of around 1,000 meters — washed into shallow water near Cabo San Lucas, and the whole thing was captured on video.
    — Hanna Wickes, Charlotte Observer, 11 Mar. 2026

Some of these examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'oarfish.' 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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