Illustration of dovetail
- 1 mortises
- 2 tenons
- 3 joint
: something resembling a dove's tail
especially
: a flaring tenon and a mortise into which it fits tightly making an interlocking joint between two pieces (as of wood)
dovetailed; dovetailing; dovetails
1
a
: to join by means of dovetails
b
: to cut to a dovetail
2
a
: to fit skillfully to form a whole
b
: to fit together with
: to fit together into a whole
Examples of dovetail in a Sentence
Verb
the Union and the Confederate accounts of the battle don't dovetail at all
Recent Examples on the Web
Los Angeles Times, 16 June 2025
The emphasis on family dovetails with a previous statement from showrunners Al Gough and Miles Millar that revealed the entire Addams family will be enrolling in Nevermore Academy this season.
—Randall Colburn, EW.com, 23 Apr. 2025
Tiara Ataii, Vulture, 24 June 2025
This deployment of military personnel in a U.S. city also dovetails with the expansion of executive power characteristic of autocratic leaders.
—Jeremy Pressman, The Conversation, 15 June 2025
See All Example Sentences for dovetail
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.
Noun
Ah Loo strung individual white dovetail shells into a cape-like shape reminiscent of Hawaiian ʻahu ʻula — a feather cloak worn by ancient Hawaiian royalty, according to Vogue.
—Los Angeles Times, 16 June 2025
The emphasis on family dovetails with a previous statement from showrunners Al Gough and Miles Millar that revealed the entire Addams family will be enrolling in Nevermore Academy this season.
—Randall Colburn, EW.com, 23 Apr. 2025
Verb
Pick and choose from this list or watch them in succession to be taken on a journey through films that dovetail one another’s discourse on masculinity, women’s rights, the harsh conditions of rural life, and the importance of film as a form of resistance.
—Tiara Ataii, Vulture, 24 June 2025
This deployment of military personnel in a U.S. city also dovetails with the expansion of executive power characteristic of autocratic leaders.
—Jeremy Pressman, The Conversation, 15 June 2025
See All Example Sentences for dovetail
Cite this Entry
“Dovetail.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/dovetail. Accessed 12 Jul. 2025.
Copy CitationKids Definition
dovetail
1 of 2 noun
dove·tail
-ˌtāl 
: something shaped like a dove's tail
especially
: a joint between two pieces (as of wood) formed by a wedge-shaped part that fits tightly into a wedge-shaped slot in the other piece
dovetail
2 of 2 verb1
a
: to join by means of dovetails
b
: to cut to a dovetail
2
: to fit skillfully together to form a whole
Love words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
Share