cobble

verb cob·ble \ ˈkä-bəl \

Definition of cobble

cobbled; cobbling play \-b(ə-)liŋ\

transitive verb

1 chiefly British :to mend or patch coarsely

2 :repair, make

cobble shoes

3 :to make or put together roughly or hastily —often used with together or up

cobble together an agreement

cobble up a temporary solution

See cobble defined for English-language learners

See cobble defined for kids

Examples of cobble in a Sentence

expensive leather shoes cobbled in Italy

Recent Examples of cobble from the Web

The Reds may cobble together some simulated games and live batting practice, and could have DeSclafani pitch in instructional league back in Arizona.

— zach buchanan, Cincinnati.com, "Anthony DeSclafani’s 2017 season now about 2018," 30 Aug. 2017
Because Alabama has secured the No. 1 recruiting class in each of the last seven years, Saban should be able to cobble together a reasonable facsimile of the 2016 unit that held opponents to 13 points per game.

— rainer sabin, AL.com, "Alabama begins practice with one second on its mind," 3 Aug. 2017
With Paul, the effect is especially pronounced because Clippers coach Doc Rivers generally resisted staggering his stars’ minutes and regularly struggled to cobble together passable second units.

— ben golliver, SI.com, "Will The Rockets' Superstar Experiment Be A Boom Or Bust?," 31 July 2017
Even if Republicans eventually cobble together some sort of health-care bill, full repeal of Obamacare is, by all accounts, not going to happen.

— michael tanner, National Review, "Scorecard: Trump’s First Six Months," 26 July 2017
Some experts argued that matching data cobbled from states’ incompatible databases could be hugely expensive and was unlikely to produce any accurate results.

— michael wines, New York Times, "Trump Election Commission, Already Under Fire, Holds First Meeting," 19 July 2017
But Brown and Democratic leaders were able to cobble together the two-thirds support needed in both chambers to extend the law through 2030.

— CBS News, "Calif. lawmakers extend landmark climate change law ten years," 18 July 2017
Besson—cobbling together his blockbuster budget without the help of any major studio—has taken on a big, ambitious project, and staked a lot on it.

— richard lawson, HWD, "Valerian and the City of a Thousand Planets Is an Endearing, Eye-Popping Mess," 18 July 2017
The 86-year-old, who has wielded friendly guile to cobble together signature acquisitions, is now facing the choice of sweetening the deal to please a hedge fund, picking a fight or walking away.

— sridhar natarajan and katherine chiglinsky, star-telegram, "In bid for Oncor, Warren Buffett must beat out a hedge fund king," 14 July 2017

These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'cobble.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.

Origin and Etymology of cobble

Middle English coblen, perhaps back-formation from cobelere cobbler

NEW! Time Traveler

First Known Use: 15th century

See Words from the same year

cobble

noun

Definition of cobble

1 :cobblestone

2 cobbles plural, chiefly British :lump coal about the size of small cobblestones

See cobble defined for English-language learners

Examples of cobble in a Sentence

a street paved with cobbles

Recent Examples of cobble from the Web

Our final evening of camping was on cobbles underneath the Mile 10 sign of the pipeline.

— author: ned rozell, Alaska Dispatch News, "A trek across 850 miles of Alaska ends — fittingly — with a final bear encounter," 19 Aug. 2017
The 38 acres of perfect mix of cobbles, gravel and sand produce 5,000 cases a year.

— carol ann davidson, idahostatesman, "Wellness springs eternal in Calistoga, Calif.," 2 June 2017
Scattered around the site were flakes that seem to have been chipped off the cobbles, as though someone had struck the rocks against another solid object.

— sarah kaplan, chicagotribune.com, "Archaeology shocker: Study claims humans reached the Americas 130,000 years ago," 26 Apr. 2017
The cobbles that served as hammerstones and anvils, then, could not have entered the layer by natural means.

— alan burdick, The New Yorker, "Did Humans Arrive in America a Hundred Thousand Years Earlier Than We Thought?," 26 Apr. 2017
The attacker fell to the cobbles just yards from the entrance to 1,000-year-old Westminster Hall, the oldest part of the parliamentary complex, busy with visitors and school groups.

— danica kirka, The Denver Post, "5 dead in vehicle, knife attack at British Parliament," 22 Mar. 2017
The white quartz stones that make up the outer wall were brought here from Wicklow (71 miles south) and the granite cobbles from Rathcor (40 miles north).

— jane smiley, New York Times, "Jane Smiley Explores Ancient Ireland’s Mysterious Tombs," 20 Dec. 2016
The shoreline has gone from rough cobbles that looked like a lunar landscape to a fine sand that rivals any beach in the Northwest.

— National Geographic, "River Revives After Largest Dam Removal in U.S. History," 2 June 2016

First Known Use of cobble

1600

COBBLE Defined for English Language Learners

cobble

verb

Definition of cobble for English Language Learners

: to make (something) by putting together different parts in a quick way
: to make or repair (shoes)

Learn More about cobble

See words that rhyme with cobble Thesaurus: All synonyms and antonyms for cobble Spanish Central: Translation of cobble Nglish: Translation of cobble for Spanish speakers Britannica.com: Encyclopedia article about cobble

Seen and Heard

What made you want to look up cobble? Please tell us where you read or heard it (including the quote, if possible).

show

cobble

Definition of cobble

Examples of cobble in a Sentence

Recent Examples of cobble from the Web

Origin and Etymology of cobble

cobble

Definition of cobble

Examples of cobble in a Sentence

Recent Examples of cobble from the Web

First Known Use of cobble

COBBLE Defined for English Language Learners

cobble

Definition of cobble for English Language Learners

Learn More about cobble

Seen and Heard

WORD OF THE DAY

nuncupative

BROWSE DICTIONARY

Test Your Vocabulary

Words at Play

Learned Fools: On Names for Students

The Synonyms 'Discover' and 'Invent'

I'll Have the Us(ual)

The Origins of 'Lobbyist'

Ask the Editors

Words of the Year: 1066

How Often Is 'Biweekly'?

Irregardless

Weird Plurals

Word Games

The Exceptions Quiz III

Forms of Government Quiz

True or False?

SCRABBLE® Sprint

Learned Fools: On Names for Students

Trending: NY Times: Trump's Call Ignites 'Imbroglio'

The Exceptions Quiz III

17 English Words that Come From Japanese

Words of the Year: 1066

cobble

Definition of cobble

Read the Latest from M-W

Examples of cobble in a Sentence

Recent Examples of cobble from the Web

Origin and Etymology of cobble

cobble

Definition of cobble

Examples of cobble in a Sentence

Recent Examples of cobble from the Web

First Known Use of cobble

COBBLE Defined for English Language Learners

cobble

Definition of cobble for English Language Learners

Learn More about cobble

Seen and Heard

Love words? Need even more definitions?

Love words? Need even more definitions?

Words at Play

Ask the Editors

Word Games

Learned Fools: On Names for Students

Trending: NY Times: Trump's Call Ignites 'Imbroglio'

The Exceptions Quiz III

17 English Words that Come From Japanese

Words of the Year: 1066