grizzly bear

American  

noun

1. a large North American brown bear, Ursus (arctos ) horribilis, with coarse, gray-tipped brown fur, once widespread in the western part of the continent as far south as northern Mexico but now restricted to some regions of Alaska, western Canada, and the U.S. Rocky Mountains: a threatened species except in Alaska.

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grizzly bear British  

noun

1. Often shortened to: grizzly.  a variety of the brown bear, Ursus arctos horribilis, formerly widespread in W North America; its brown fur has cream or white hair tips on the back, giving a grizzled appearance

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Etymology

Origin of grizzly bear

First recorded in 1685–95

Compare meaning

How does grizzly-bear compare to similar and commonly confused words? Explore the most common comparisons:

• brown bear vs. grizzly bear

Example Sentences

The last known wild grizzly bear in California was shot and killed in the 1920s.

From Los Angeles Times • May 8, 2026

Unsurprisingly, War Secretary Warrior-Ethos-Man appeared on Fox News the next day to brag about this pitiful behavior, acting as if he’d won a wrestling match with a grizzly bear.

From Salon • Dec. 3, 2025

That’s mostly true, but saying these events “can” be inconsequential is like saying that a human encounter with a grizzly bear “can” be nonfatal.

From Slate • Nov. 11, 2025

When the pair reached a small town that afternoon, his wife started screaming, and Ramsdell thought she spotted a grizzly bear.

From The Wall Street Journal • Oct. 6, 2025

He half expected to come face-to-face with a grizzly bear, but then he realized how ridiculous that was.

From "Hello, Universe" by Erin Entrada Kelly