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
At the time, the Coast Guard was unable to confirm whether the whale was a humpback whale or an endangered North Atlantic right whale.
—
Andrea Margolis, Fox News, 27 Nov. 2024
The most recent right whale to die was found floating 50 miles (80 kilometers) offshore east of Back Bay National Wildlife Refuge in Virginia Beach, Virginia, last Saturday, the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration said in a news release.
—Patrick Whittle, San Diego Union-Tribune, 4 Apr. 2024
An endangered North Atlantic right whale first spotted in 1989 was found dead off the Virginia coast, the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration reported Tuesday, with her most recent offspring missing.
—Natalie Neysa Alund, USA TODAY, 3 Apr. 2024
But blue whales, humpbacks, and fin whales are on the endangered list, and the Northern right whale is just about extinct – only about 350 of them are left on Earth.
—David Pogue, CBS News, 13 Oct. 2024
See all Example Sentences for right 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.
Andrea Margolis, Fox News, 27 Nov. 2024
The most recent right whale to die was found floating 50 miles (80 kilometers) offshore east of Back Bay National Wildlife Refuge in Virginia Beach, Virginia, last Saturday, the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration said in a news release.
—Patrick Whittle, San Diego Union-Tribune, 4 Apr. 2024
An endangered North Atlantic right whale first spotted in 1989 was found dead off the Virginia coast, the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration reported Tuesday, with her most recent offspring missing.
—Natalie Neysa Alund, USA TODAY, 3 Apr. 2024
But blue whales, humpbacks, and fin whales are on the endangered list, and the Northern right whale is just about extinct – only about 350 of them are left on Earth.
—David Pogue, CBS News, 13 Oct. 2024
See all Example Sentences for right whale
Dictionary Entries Near right whale
Cite this Entry
“Right whale.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/right%20whale. Accessed 17 Dec. 2024.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
Share