bull shark

noun

: an aggressive requiem shark (Carcharhinus leucas) of tropical to subtropical coastal waters that has a short, blunt snout and small eyes, is tolerant of freshwater and may spend extended periods in rivers, and has been known to attack people
Bull sharks—believed to be the culprits in the two recent Florida attacks—are especially pugnacious and often found in shallow water.Prakash Gandhi et al.

Examples of bull shark in a Sentence

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Before that, the last deadly incident was in 1963, when actress Marcia Hathaway was fatally mauled by a bull shark in Middle Harbour’s shallow waters. Laura Sharman, CNN Money, 7 Sep. 2025 In August 2021, a 15-year-old boy was snorkeling off the Ocean Reef Club in Key Largo, near where the 8-year-old was bitten, and was attacked by what experts believe to have been a bull shark. David Goodhue, Miami Herald, 2 Sep. 2025 Last July, a 37-year-old man survived multiple bites from a bull shark while spearfishing near a reef off Key West. Doc Louallen, ABC News, 1 Sep. 2025 What began as a routine free-diving trip off Florida’s coast ended with a bull shark bite for a veteran spear fisherman—just minutes after reassuring his visiting family not to worry about the famed predators. Alexandra Koch, FOXNews.com, 15 Aug. 2025 See All Example Sentences for bull shark

Word History

First Known Use

1913, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of bull shark was in 1913

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Cite this Entry

“Bull shark.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/bull%20shark. Accessed 14 Sep. 2025.

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