as in kid
a young person who is between infancy and adulthood
playtime's over, it's time to gather up the whelps and head home
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
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 whelp
Liz O'Connell, MSNBC Newsweek, 30 Apr. 2025
The alpha male was a foster, and his mate whelped — or gave birth — during the same week, making the pack an ideal candidate to receive pups.
—Hayleigh Evans, The Arizona Republic, 29 July 2024
When a captive mother whelps, or gives birth on her own, managers match her pups with a wild den using GPS coordinates from radio collars placed on packs’ breeding alpha male and female.
—Hayleigh Evans, The Arizona Republic, 3 May 2024
Given its importance as one of two Northwest Atlantic harp seal whelping grounds, the area is one of Nat Geo’s Best Trips for 2020.
—Jennifer Hayes, National Geographic, 19 Dec. 2019
And from Susan’s line, the queen’s breeding program at the Kennels of Windsor whelped hundreds of corgi puppies.
—William Booth, Washington Post, 18 Apr. 2018
From the queen's breeding program at the Kennels of Windsor, hundreds of royal corgis have been whelped.
—William Booth, chicagotribune.com, 18 Apr. 2018
Verb
Owners can help the process by giving them a whelping box.
—Liz O'Connell, MSNBC Newsweek, 30 Apr. 2025
The alpha male was a foster, and his mate whelped — or gave birth — during the same week, making the pack an ideal candidate to receive pups.
—Hayleigh Evans, The Arizona Republic, 29 July 2024
When a captive mother whelps, or gives birth on her own, managers match her pups with a wild den using GPS coordinates from radio collars placed on packs’ breeding alpha male and female.
—Hayleigh Evans, The Arizona Republic, 3 May 2024
Given its importance as one of two Northwest Atlantic harp seal whelping grounds, the area is one of Nat Geo’s Best Trips for 2020.
—Jennifer Hayes, National Geographic, 19 Dec. 2019
And from Susan’s line, the queen’s breeding program at the Kennels of Windsor whelped hundreds of corgi puppies.
—William Booth, Washington Post, 18 Apr. 2018
From the queen's breeding program at the Kennels of Windsor, hundreds of royal corgis have been whelped.
—William Booth, chicagotribune.com, 18 Apr. 2018
Recent Examples of Synonyms for whelp
Noun
-
Morrison is 32 now — older, wiser, a lot more worldly than the kid who got into trouble, ended up in court and left Old Trafford without fulfilling that rare potential.—
Daniel Taylor,
New York Times,
6 June 2025
-
Parents can help fill the gaps to help prepare their kids for life on their own.—
Melissa Willets,
Parents,
6 June 2025
Noun
-
Another victim was 27-year-old Mary Reiner, who had just returned home after giving birth to her first child.—
Monica Mercuri,
Forbes.com,
28 May 2025
-
Voices Column: Lewis W. Hine’s photos helped child labor laws pass a century ago.—
Christopher Knight,
Los Angeles Times,
28 May 2025
Verb
-
He was sired by American Pharoah, who won the Triple Crown in 2015.—
Jason Jones,
New York Times,
1 May 2025
-
Flying Mohawk This horse was sired by Karakontie, a Mohawk word that roughly translates to flying sun burning across the sky.—
Tim Newcomb,
Forbes.com,
1 May 2025
Noun
-
The litter of cubs was born to first time mom, 4-year-old Cora, and 8-year-old Vader, according to zoo officials.—
Kate Linderman,
Kansas City Star,
5 June 2025
-
Here, bears find the space to stretch their limbs and walk for perhaps the first time since being cubs.—
Ryley Graham,
Smithsonian Magazine,
4 June 2025
Verb
-
Sea lion pupping season begins in mid-May, and births continue through the first week of July, according to the Seal Society.—
Ashley Mackin Solomon,
San Diego Union-Tribune,
26 May 2025
-
The tidepools are closed during seal pupping season from Dec. 15 through May 15.—
Carlos Rico,
San Diego Union-Tribune,
5 May 2025
Verb
-
But while a surrogate was pregnant with their third child, Ms. Boucher was furious to discover that Mr. Musk had recently fathered twins with Shivon Zilis, an executive at his brain implant company, Neuralink, according to people familiar with the situation.—
Kirsten Grind,
New York Times,
30 May 2025
-
Their fifth child was Lyon Gardiner Tyler Sr., who later fathered Harrison Ruffin Tyler.—
Sarah Kuta,
Smithsonian Magazine,
30 May 2025
Verb
-
After getting rescued at a young age, a tuxedo kitten immediately claimed his owner's cat as his own new mommy, and internet users can't cope with the heartwarming relationship the two have developed.—
Gordon G. Chang,
MSNBC Newsweek,
8 Apr. 2025
-
Local authorities were able to coax the bobcat kitten out of the tree and bring it some comfort.—
Amaris Encinas,
USA TODAY,
25 July 2023
Verb
-
That begat the Panthers first goal, Carter Verhaeghe’s shot bouncing in off Sam Bennett as the center sprawled in the crease, as well as solid control of the second period and first minutes of overtime.—
Jordan McPherson,
Miami Herald,
6 June 2025
-
Scream begat five sequels (with a sixth on its way), a television series, and one of the all-time great Halloween costumes.—
Jordan Hoffman,
EW.com,
6 June 2025
Cite this Entry
“Whelp.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/whelp. Accessed 10 Jun. 2025.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
Share