animals

noun

plural of animal
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

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 animals Historically, such spaces were often features of religious buildings around the world including monasteries and convents, keeping animals out and fresh water, herbs, vegetables, and flowers safely inside. — Michael James Gardner, Architectural Digest, 26 Oct. 2026 Autofocus has been upgraded too, and subject detection now recognizes birds as well as people and animals. — New Atlas, 26 Oct. 2026 Biden had crushed Trump by over 7 million votes—and inside the Capitol, these rioters were throwing literal feces like animals. — Literary Hub, 26 Oct. 2026 Geoff Cole—the British scientist who originally pitched the evolutionary fear of venomous animals theory in 2013—recently looked back at the evidence and made a new conclusion. — Gabriela Galvin, Scientific American, 26 Oct. 2026 Typically, territorial animals become less aggressive towards their familiar neighbors. — Maria Mocerino, Interesting Engineering, 25 Oct. 2026 Even the process by which animals are herded onto the trucks is often highly stressful, with frightened animals pushed, prodded, pulled, and otherwise handled roughly. — Marina Bolotnikova, Vox, 24 Oct. 2026 The strain of bird flu that’s ripped through American barns for the last four years has killed two people who caught it from sick animals. — Nat Lash, ProPublica, 23 Oct. 2026 In the parking garage, the animals were unfazed by noisy construction and enthusiastic fans. — Sarah Larson, New Yorker, 19 Oct. 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for animals
  1. creatures
  2. beasts
Noun
  • Other witnesses reported smaller, hairy creatures, a prehistoric-looking bird and a worm allegedly measuring 8 feet long.
    — Greg Wehner, FOXNews.com, 25 Oct. 2026
  • But the most important thing to understand about farm animal transportation is that these creatures are not handled like passengers, the way you or I would be treated on a long-distance trip.
    — Marina Bolotnikova, Vox, 24 Oct. 2026
Definition of creatures
Noun
  • The stampede of hooves…the trumpeting of beasts… our friends and neighbors changing before our very eyes.
    — Greg Evans, Deadline, 15 Oct. 2026
  • Dangerous donkeys On one side is the public safety crowd, who insist the 500-pound beasts are a menace to the free flow of commerce.
    — Jack Dolan, Los Angeles Times, 8 Oct. 2026
Definition of beasts

Browse Nearby Words

animal magnetism
animals
animal spirits
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Cite this Entry

“Animals.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/animals. Accessed 27 Oct. 2026.

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