Illustration of sword
- 1 pommel
- 2 hilt
- 3 guard
- 4 blade
often attributive
1
: a weapon (such as a cutlass or rapier) with a long blade for cutting or thrusting that is often used as a symbol of honor or authority
2
a
: an agency or instrument of destruction or combat
b
: the use of force
The pen is mightier than the sword.—
Edward G. Bulwer-Lytton
Edward G. Bulwer-Lytton3
: coercive power
4
: something that resembles a sword
see also at swords' points
Examples of sword in a Sentence
once upon a time dueling with swords was the gentlemanly way to settle a point of honor
Recent Examples on the Web
Archaeologists in southern Germany have unearthed a rare, octagonal Bronze Age sword worthy of legend.
—Maria Mocerino, Interesting Engineering, 15 Feb. 2026
Above one entryway, a sword is lodged in the stone, said to have found its place there in the eighth century after being thrown more than 100 miles by Roland, the hero of the medieval chanson that bears his name.
—Robert F. Worth, The Atlantic, 13 Feb. 2026
The preschooler wandered the room, swinging a thin plastic rod from a set of window blinds like a toy sword.
—Mike Hixenbaugh, NBC news, 13 Feb. 2026
Need to know UK’s latest political standoff threatens to put a ‘Damocles sword’ over the country's bond market, Jordan Rochester, head of FICC strategy at Mizuho EMEA, said in a Monday note.
—Ian King, CNBC, 11 Feb. 2026
See All Example Sentences for sword
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Maria Mocerino, Interesting Engineering, 15 Feb. 2026
Above one entryway, a sword is lodged in the stone, said to have found its place there in the eighth century after being thrown more than 100 miles by Roland, the hero of the medieval chanson that bears his name.
—Robert F. Worth, The Atlantic, 13 Feb. 2026
The preschooler wandered the room, swinging a thin plastic rod from a set of window blinds like a toy sword.
—Mike Hixenbaugh, NBC news, 13 Feb. 2026
Need to know UK’s latest political standoff threatens to put a ‘Damocles sword’ over the country's bond market, Jordan Rochester, head of FICC strategy at Mizuho EMEA, said in a Monday note.
—Ian King, CNBC, 11 Feb. 2026
See All Example Sentences for sword
Cite this Entry
“Sword.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/sword. Accessed 17 Feb. 2026.
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