chain saw

noun

: a portable power saw that has teeth linked together to form an endless chain
chainsaw transitive verb

Examples of chain saw 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.
The struggling pizza chain saw its same-store sales shrink 2%, a steeper decline than the 0.1% decrease projected by StreetAccount estimates. Amelia Lucas, CNBC, 30 Apr. 2025 Elon Musk came to Washington with a chain saw and left with a black eye. Maureen Dowd, Mercury News, 4 June 2025 But Musk himself has tried to take a chain saw to federal spending through his work leading the Trump administration’s Department of Government Efficiency, which claims to have saved $180 billion since January, including by canceling contracts, though that figure remains highly disputed. Paresh Dave, Wired News, 6 June 2025 Elon Musk waving around a chain saw was more than an instantly viral moment. Jonathan Swan, New York Times, 29 Apr. 2025 See All Example Sentences for chain saw

Word History

First Known Use

1920, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of chain saw was in 1920

Browse Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Chain saw.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/chain%20saw. Accessed 18 Jul. 2025.

Kids Definition

chain saw

noun
: a portable power saw that has teeth linked together to form a continuous chain

More from Merriam-Webster on chain saw

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!