1
as in mermaids
a mythical goddess represented as a young girl and said to live outdoors
she bought the book of fairy tales for the beautiful engravings of nymphs and fairies featured between the stories
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2
3
as in girls
a female person who has not yet reached adulthood
the neighborhood nymphs were gathered at the local pizza parlor
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Recent Examples of nymphs
Check not only for insects and their larvae or nymphs, but also for eggs, pupal structures, sticky honeydew, webbing, and tiny dark dots on stems and the backs of leaves.
—
Andy Wilcox, Better Homes & Gardens, 26 Apr. 2026
The emergence of nymphs, along with more people spending time outdoors, are among the reasons tick bites tend to be highest in May.
—ABC News, 25 Apr. 2026
The eggs overwinter, and small nymphs emerge in the early spring.
—Encyclopedia Britannica, 22 Apr. 2026
Crappie like to hover below their prey, fining in place and examining slow-swimming invertebrates such as damselfly, dragonfly, and mayfly nymphs, as well as small leeches.
—Cory Schmidt, Outdoor Life, 15 Apr. 2026
The eggs hatch in spring (typically March to May) and nymphs begin feeding on plants.
—Arricca Elin Sansone, Southern Living, 1 Apr. 2026
Testing showed that bacteria that causes Lyme disease was highest in adult female ticks from Fairfield County, with around 68% positive, and in nymphs from New Haven County, with around 32% positive for the virus, according to CAES.
—Stephen Underwood, Hartford Courant, 25 Mar. 2026
Lanternfly nymphs start hatching in April and grow through four nymph stages before emerging as adults in late June.
—Chad Murphy, Cincinnati Enquirer, 17 Feb. 2026
Indoors, however, there is no winter to slow their reproduction, and female aphids can continue to produce nymphs all year without pause.
—Jon Vanzile, The Spruce, 30 Jan. 2026
Andy Wilcox, Better Homes & Gardens, 26 Apr. 2026
The emergence of nymphs, along with more people spending time outdoors, are among the reasons tick bites tend to be highest in May.
—ABC News, 25 Apr. 2026
The eggs overwinter, and small nymphs emerge in the early spring.
—Encyclopedia Britannica, 22 Apr. 2026
Crappie like to hover below their prey, fining in place and examining slow-swimming invertebrates such as damselfly, dragonfly, and mayfly nymphs, as well as small leeches.
—Cory Schmidt, Outdoor Life, 15 Apr. 2026
The eggs hatch in spring (typically March to May) and nymphs begin feeding on plants.
—Arricca Elin Sansone, Southern Living, 1 Apr. 2026
Testing showed that bacteria that causes Lyme disease was highest in adult female ticks from Fairfield County, with around 68% positive, and in nymphs from New Haven County, with around 32% positive for the virus, according to CAES.
—Stephen Underwood, Hartford Courant, 25 Mar. 2026
Lanternfly nymphs start hatching in April and grow through four nymph stages before emerging as adults in late June.
—Chad Murphy, Cincinnati Enquirer, 17 Feb. 2026
Indoors, however, there is no winter to slow their reproduction, and female aphids can continue to produce nymphs all year without pause.
—Jon Vanzile, The Spruce, 30 Jan. 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for nymphs
Noun
-
Greek director Konstantina Kotzamani’s Titanic Ocean, coming-of-age tale set in a special boarding school in Japan that trains teenage girls into professional mermaids, will also debut in Un Certain Regard.—
Melanie Goodfellow,
Deadline,
22 Apr. 2026
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The Laguna Ocean Foundation kicks off every summer with its annual KelpFest, where visitors can take photos with mermaids, listen to live music, and participate in a large-scale beach clean-up.—
Acacia Gabriel,
Travel + Leisure,
12 Apr. 2026
Noun
-
The shift places a heavier burden on women and girls who end up spending hours each day hunting for fuel, limiting their time for work or school, said Neha Saigal, a consultant with the environmental and social justice startup Asar Social Impact Advisors.—
ABC News,
ABC News,
27 Apr. 2026
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Over the course of the past year, Texas state lawmakers have been investigating the fatal July 4, 2025, floods that claimed over 130 lives, including those of 27 young girls at a Central Texas summer camp.—
Mateo Rosiles,
USA Today,
27 Apr. 2026
Noun
-
In the final novel of the series, The Last Battle, the destruction of trees and dryads in Lantern Waste, a place tied to the creation of Narnia itself, is one of many portentous omens signalling the end of the world.—
Ellen Walker,
JSTOR Daily,
3 Sep. 2025
Noun
-
The Black-Eyed Susan is the leading race for 3-year-old fillies.—
JT Moodee Lockman,
CBS News,
21 Apr. 2026
-
The Kentucky Oaks, a slightly shorter race exclusively for fillies on the Friday before the Kentucky Derby, will air in primetime this year in an attempt to draw more viewers.—
Lev Akabas,
Sportico.com,
8 Apr. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Nymphs.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/nymphs. Accessed 3 May. 2026.
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