variants
or less commonly chain saw
plural chainsaws also chain saws
: a portable power tool used for cutting that has sharp teeth linked together to form a continuous chain
chainsaw
transitive verb
Examples of chainsaw in a Sentence
Recent Examples on the Web
Christopher George stars as a detective investigating a series of chainsaw murders at a Boston university in this gonzo gorefest.
—
Kevin Jacobsen, Entertainment Weekly, 31 Jan. 2026
There are monks and chainsaws and coffins and pops of yellow, and each costume makes Cumming howl in laughter.
—Jonathan Borge, InStyle, 29 Jan. 2026
Have the rest of you moved on to juggling chainsaws?
—Sean McIndoe, New York Times, 26 Jan. 2026
Digging means using a mattock or pickaxe to break apart the soil, a shovel to remove the soil, an axe or chainsaw to cut roots, and plenty of pushing and pulling to remove the stump.
—Mary Marlowe Leverette, Southern Living, 19 Jan. 2026
The chainsaws went quiet all at once.
—Literary Hub, 16 Jan. 2026
No chainsaws, power tools or saws.
—Pomerado News, San Diego Union-Tribune, 15 Jan. 2026
The two men had sent each other voice notes talking about the heaviness of the chainsaw and the amount of coverage that the crime was getting.
—Rosa Lyster, Harpers Magazine, 30 Dec. 2025
Some are relatively simple, spanning a narrow stream and created by a team with a chainsaw and a sledgehammer.
—Elise Schmelzer, Denver Post, 30 Dec. 2025
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Kevin Jacobsen, Entertainment Weekly, 31 Jan. 2026
There are monks and chainsaws and coffins and pops of yellow, and each costume makes Cumming howl in laughter.
—Jonathan Borge, InStyle, 29 Jan. 2026
Have the rest of you moved on to juggling chainsaws?
—Sean McIndoe, New York Times, 26 Jan. 2026
Digging means using a mattock or pickaxe to break apart the soil, a shovel to remove the soil, an axe or chainsaw to cut roots, and plenty of pushing and pulling to remove the stump.
—Mary Marlowe Leverette, Southern Living, 19 Jan. 2026
The chainsaws went quiet all at once.
—Literary Hub, 16 Jan. 2026
No chainsaws, power tools or saws.
—Pomerado News, San Diego Union-Tribune, 15 Jan. 2026
The two men had sent each other voice notes talking about the heaviness of the chainsaw and the amount of coverage that the crime was getting.
—Rosa Lyster, Harpers Magazine, 30 Dec. 2025
Some are relatively simple, spanning a narrow stream and created by a team with a chainsaw and a sledgehammer.
—Elise Schmelzer, Denver Post, 30 Dec. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Chainsaw.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/chainsaw. Accessed 6 Feb. 2026.
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