hacksaw

noun

hack·​saw ˈhak-ˌsȯ How to pronounce hacksaw (audio)
: a fine-tooth saw with a blade under tension in a frame that is used for cutting hard materials (such as metal)
hacksaw verb

Illustration of hacksaw

Illustration of hacksaw

Examples of hacksaw in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web
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.
Sauls confirms the hacksaw kill — where Art sawed someone in half from her nether regions — will appear, along with new kills that resulted from working with director Damien Leone. EW.com, 22 Aug. 2025 But this was not enough to protect the measures from the hacksaw the Trump administration has taken to the green transition. Nils Kupzok, Foreign Affairs, 31 July 2025 Musk has been at the center of Trump’s hacksaw to the federal government this week. Brett Samuels, The Hill, 5 Feb. 2025 Almost all of them are unmanned, and cutting a cord can be as simple as severing it from the station with a hacksaw. Tribune News Service, The Mercury News, 25 Sep. 2024 See All Example Sentences for hacksaw

Word History

First Known Use

1638, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of hacksaw was in 1638

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Cite this Entry

“Hacksaw.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/hacksaw. Accessed 5 Sep. 2025.

Kids Definition

hacksaw

noun
hack·​saw ˈhak-ˌsȯ How to pronounce hacksaw (audio)
: a saw used for cutting hard materials (as metal) that consists of a frame holding a blade with small teeth
hacksaw verb

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