Illustration of right whale
right whale
noun
: any of several large baleen whales (family Balaenidae and especially genus Eubalaena) that lack a dorsal fin and have very long baleen plates, an extremely large head with a V-shaped blowhole, a smooth throat, short, broad, rounded flippers, and whitish protuberances of thickened skin about the head
Examples of right whale in a Sentence
Recent Examples on the Web
Ever watch Shark Week or hear about an entangled North Atlantic right whale being tracked to help disentangle it?
—
Patrick Skerrett, STAT, 18 May 2024
There are approximately 356 North Atlantic right whales remaining, meaning every entanglement has a major impact on their small population.
—Brendan Rascius, Miami Herald, 14 May 2024
Last month, federal authorities said a North Atlantic right whale that was found floating 50 miles offshore east of Virginia Beach, Virginia, was killed in a collision with a ship.
—CBS News, 8 May 2024
The death of #1950 marked the 40th death in the ongoing Unusual Mortality Event (UME) impacting North Atlantic right whales, according to the NOAA.
—John Deem, USA TODAY, 5 Apr. 2024
In January, a young right whale washed up dead on a Martha's Vineyard beach.
—CBS News, 5 Apr. 2024
Guests visiting from May to October should look to the coast for the chance to spot a humpback or North Atlantic right whale.
—Jacqueline Dole, Travel + Leisure, 29 Mar. 2024
There are fewer than 400 right whales thought to be still living in the North Atlantic, with fewer than 70 reproductively active females.
—Mary Whitfill Roeloffs, Forbes, 1 Mar. 2024
With fewer than 360 whales remaining, the North Atlantic right whale is approaching extinction, NOAA says.
—Rebekah Riess, CNN, 5 Apr. 2024
Patrick Skerrett, STAT, 18 May 2024
There are approximately 356 North Atlantic right whales remaining, meaning every entanglement has a major impact on their small population.
—Brendan Rascius, Miami Herald, 14 May 2024
Last month, federal authorities said a North Atlantic right whale that was found floating 50 miles offshore east of Virginia Beach, Virginia, was killed in a collision with a ship.
—CBS News, 8 May 2024
The death of #1950 marked the 40th death in the ongoing Unusual Mortality Event (UME) impacting North Atlantic right whales, according to the NOAA.
—John Deem, USA TODAY, 5 Apr. 2024
In January, a young right whale washed up dead on a Martha's Vineyard beach.
—CBS News, 5 Apr. 2024
Guests visiting from May to October should look to the coast for the chance to spot a humpback or North Atlantic right whale.
—Jacqueline Dole, Travel + Leisure, 29 Mar. 2024
There are fewer than 400 right whales thought to be still living in the North Atlantic, with fewer than 70 reproductively active females.
—Mary Whitfill Roeloffs, Forbes, 1 Mar. 2024
With fewer than 360 whales remaining, the North Atlantic right whale is approaching extinction, NOAA says.
—Rebekah Riess, CNN, 5 Apr. 2024
These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'right whale.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.
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“Right whale.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/right%20whale. Accessed 23 May. 2024.
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