Illustration of humpback whale
humpback whale
noun
: a large baleen whale (Megaptera novaeangliae) that is black above and white below and has very long flippers and fleshy tubercles along the snout
Examples of humpback whale in a Sentence
Recent Examples on the Web
Images taken a day earlier showed divers alongside Timmy as the humpback whale swam into the barge.
—
Natalie Neysa Alund, USA Today, 29 Apr. 2026
After multiple attempts to rescue Timmy, a humpback whale stuck in the shallow waters off Germany's Baltic coastline for weeks, the young whale is returning to deep, open ocean water.
—Moná Thomas, PEOPLE, 29 Apr. 2026
Today, the reef is once again teeming with hundreds of fish species, bull sharks, manta rays, sea turtles, and humpback whales—fueling an eco-tourism industry that now brings in almost $8 million a year.
—Hannah Towey, Condé Nast Traveler, 22 Apr. 2026
To protect humpback whales, the Bay Area’s commercial crab-fishing season will come to a close April 30, state officials announced Friday.
—Linda Zavoral, Mercury News, 17 Apr. 2026
See All Example Sentences for humpback whale
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.
Natalie Neysa Alund, USA Today, 29 Apr. 2026
After multiple attempts to rescue Timmy, a humpback whale stuck in the shallow waters off Germany's Baltic coastline for weeks, the young whale is returning to deep, open ocean water.
—Moná Thomas, PEOPLE, 29 Apr. 2026
Today, the reef is once again teeming with hundreds of fish species, bull sharks, manta rays, sea turtles, and humpback whales—fueling an eco-tourism industry that now brings in almost $8 million a year.
—Hannah Towey, Condé Nast Traveler, 22 Apr. 2026
To protect humpback whales, the Bay Area’s commercial crab-fishing season will come to a close April 30, state officials announced Friday.
—Linda Zavoral, Mercury News, 17 Apr. 2026
See All Example Sentences for humpback whale
Cite this Entry
“Humpback whale.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/humpback%20whale. Accessed 2 May. 2026.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
