apex predator
Americannoun
Etymology
Origin of apex predator
First recorded in 1960–65
Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
A wolf arrived in Los Angeles County on Saturday morning, marking the first time the apex predator has been documented in the area in at least a century, according to state wildlife officials.
From Los Angeles Times • Feb. 7, 2026
They also found many arthropods -- a family that includes modern-day crabs and insects -- including spiny, stalk-eyed creatures called radiodonts which were the apex predator of the time.
From Barron's • Jan. 28, 2026
Their invention was like dropping a new apex predator into the investment habitat—an unfair fight.
From The Wall Street Journal • Jan. 15, 2026
According to Voris, "This new species provides us the window into the ascent stage of Tyrannosaur evolution; right when they're transitioning from small predators to their apex predator form."
From Science Daily • Oct. 24, 2025
"Let's remember they are an apex predator and probably not one that's best kept for captivity," Ms Worden told reporters, adding that there were instances of crocodiles attacking their owners in the region.
From BBC • Aug. 23, 2024
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.