tentacle
noun
ten·ta·cle
ˈten-ti-kəl 
1
: any of various elongate flexible usually tactile or prehensile processes borne by invertebrate animals chiefly on the head or about the mouth
2
: something that resembles a tentacle especially in or as if in grasping or feeling out
corruption spreading its tentacles
3
: a sensitive hair or emergence on a plant (such as the sundew)
Examples of tentacle in a Sentence
The corporation's tentacles are felt in every sector of the industry.
the tentacles of organized crime
Recent Examples on the Web
In Loulé, Cafezique’s colorful, quirky interiors (peep the ceramic octopus tentacle on which the cutlery is placed) are matched by a bold culinary identity.
—
Chadner Navarro, Vogue, 30 Oct. 2025
Another important step is removing the tentacles with tweezers or the edge of a card, Swart said.
—Taryn White, Travel + Leisure, 29 Oct. 2025
Perplexity’s comic confusingly features a futuristic city being destroyed by a book with tentacles controlled by a god in a 1990s simulation.
—PC Magazine, 25 Oct. 2025
The body of each tentacle is crafted out of resin, and the individual suckers are then painted and polished before being applied by hand.
—Joelle Diderich, Footwear News, 21 Oct. 2025
See All Example Sentences for tentacle
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.
Chadner Navarro, Vogue, 30 Oct. 2025
Another important step is removing the tentacles with tweezers or the edge of a card, Swart said.
—Taryn White, Travel + Leisure, 29 Oct. 2025
Perplexity’s comic confusingly features a futuristic city being destroyed by a book with tentacles controlled by a god in a 1990s simulation.
—PC Magazine, 25 Oct. 2025
The body of each tentacle is crafted out of resin, and the individual suckers are then painted and polished before being applied by hand.
—Joelle Diderich, Footwear News, 21 Oct. 2025
See All Example Sentences for tentacle
Cite this Entry
“Tentacle.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/tentacle. Accessed 2 Nov. 2025.
Copy CitationKids Definition
tentacle
noun
ten·ta·cle
ˈtent-i-kəl
1
: any of various long flexible structures that stick out usually around the head or mouth of an animal (as a jellyfish or sea anemone) and are used especially for feeling or grasping
2
a
: something that resembles a tentacle especially in or as if in grasping or feeling out
b
: a sensitive hair on a plant
Medical Definition
tentacle
noun
ten·ta·cle
ˈtent-i-kəl
: any of various elongate flexible usually tactile or prehensile processes borne by animals chiefly on the head or about the mouth
especially
: one of the threadlike processes bearing nematocysts that hang down from the margin of the umbrella of many jellyfishes
Love words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
Share