herbivores

noun

plural of herbivore
as in animals
an animal that only eats plants

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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 herbivores Mastodons were massive, elephant-like herbivores that went extinct roughly 11,700 years ago, near the end of the last Ice Age. — Andrea Margolis, FOXNews.com, 19 Sep. 2026 The same process occurs in the radish’s spicier cousins, and the resulting chemicals are thought to help deter herbivores and pests. — Encyclopedia Britannica, 26 Aug. 2026 But Carcache wonders whether the vine might also deter herbivores, offering some protection to its host. — Denise Hruby, Miami Herald, 21 Aug. 2026 That shape could be consistent with tracks left by either theropods — a group that includes meat-eating dinosaurs — or ornithopods, which were bipedal herbivores. — Brandi D. Addison, USA Today, 17 Aug. 2026 Hippos, which are herbivores, are the third-largest land animal after elephants and white rhinos and can weigh as much as 8,000 pounds. — Dennis Romero, NBC news, 8 Aug. 2026 Woolly mammoths coexisted with early humans who hunted the cold-resistant herbivores for food and used their tusks and bones as tools. — CBS News, 4 Aug. 2026 Invertebrates make up more than 70% of all terrestrial animal species and are important pollinators, predators and herbivores in virtually every nonmarine ecosystem. — Christopher A. Lepczyk, The Conversation, 8 July 2026 When growing in the prairie, rattlesnake master’s spiny leaves deter other herbivores as well as some insects. — Sheryl Devore, Chicago Tribune, 8 July 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for herbivores
  1. animals
  2. vegetarians
  3. vegans
  4. creatures
  5. critters
  6. beasties
Noun
  • The arthropod group includes animals that are without a backbone or any bones at all, strictly speaking, their bodies being encased in a ringed, exterior tegument and having legs and, sometimes, wings.
    — Jeanna Bryner, Scientific American, 20 Oct. 2026
  • In the parking garage, the animals were unfazed by noisy construction and enthusiastic fans.
    — Sarah Larson, New Yorker, 19 Oct. 2026
Definition of animals
Noun
  • That included looking at everything from the average cost of groceries for vegetarians and vegans, the number of restaurants with vegetarian and vegan offerings, and for the vegetarian lifestyle, the availability of vegan and vegetarian festivals.
    — Stacey Leasca, Travel + Leisure, 3 Dec. 2025
Definition of vegetarians
Noun
  • That included looking at everything from the average cost of groceries for vegetarians and vegans, the number of restaurants with vegetarian and vegan offerings, and for the vegetarian lifestyle, the availability of vegan and vegetarian festivals.
    — Stacey Leasca, Travel + Leisure, 3 Dec. 2025
Definition of vegans
Noun
  • Rather than relying on supernatural creatures or elaborate mythology, Fears to Fathom builds suspense around seemingly ordinary situations that take increasingly terrifying turns.
    — Denise Petski, Deadline, 16 Oct. 2026
  • Here are five ways to make your Halloween display friendlier to the creatures that fly, slither and scurry through your yard.
    — Katie Koschalk, Scientific American, 16 Oct. 2026
Definition of creatures
Noun
  • All are adorned with jewels and tails made of real horsehair, many of which have been eaten by squirrels or other critters.
    — Todd Martens, Los Angeles Times, 12 Oct. 2026
  • Fall is here, which means that outdoor critters will inevitably try to find their way into our homes.
    — Alicia Geigel, Southern Living, 7 Oct. 2026
Definition of critters
Noun
  • Greg and Denise are having some marital issues, but everybody needs to put other concerns aside to stay alive with nasty raptors and other hungry beasties around.
    — Brian Truitt, USA Today, 15 Aug. 2026
  • And when that happens, astronomers will set about studying these new beasties with other eyes on the sky to learn more about them and hopefully understand them.
    — Phil Plait, Scientific American, 24 July 2026
Definition of beasties

Browse Nearby Words

herbivore
herbivores
herbivorous
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Cite this Entry

“Herbivores.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/herbivores. Accessed 21 Oct. 2026.

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