declaw
verb
de·claw
(ˌ)dē-ˈklȯ 
declawed; declawing; declaws
: to remove the claws of (an animal, such as a cat) surgically
Examples of declaw in a Sentence
We had our cats declawed.
Recent Examples on the Web
While there are catfights aplenty, most come off as perfunctory and declawed.
—
Randy Myers, The Mercury News, 20 Mar. 2024
Those in possession of exotic animals often attempt to change the animal, using tactics such as confining them to a small space, chaining them up, declawing and removing teeth, according to Born Free USA.
—Evan Moore, Charlotte Observer, 6 Feb. 2024
The warmth of the family melodrama that powers the internal core of the narrative and provides the impetus to push Monk forward with the fake book tends to declaw the social commentary.
—Katie Walsh, Los Angeles Times, 16 Dec. 2023
Some proponents of declawing say the opposite is true and cats that damage furniture or scratch children are more likely to end up in shelters.
—Paul Egan, Detroit Free Press, 26 May 2023
Bills to ban declawing have been introduced in Michigan before, most recently in 2020, but have not been made into law.
—Paul Egan, Detroit Free Press, 26 May 2023
There are two common arguments made for allowing cats to be declawed.
—Hank Sanders, Chicago Tribune, 1 May 2023
The debate around declawing is long-running and fierce.
—Hank Sanders, Chicago Tribune, 1 May 2023
Bonus: His front claws are declawed.
—The Republic, The Arizona Republic, 24 Mar. 2023
Randy Myers, The Mercury News, 20 Mar. 2024
Those in possession of exotic animals often attempt to change the animal, using tactics such as confining them to a small space, chaining them up, declawing and removing teeth, according to Born Free USA.
—Evan Moore, Charlotte Observer, 6 Feb. 2024
The warmth of the family melodrama that powers the internal core of the narrative and provides the impetus to push Monk forward with the fake book tends to declaw the social commentary.
—Katie Walsh, Los Angeles Times, 16 Dec. 2023
Some proponents of declawing say the opposite is true and cats that damage furniture or scratch children are more likely to end up in shelters.
—Paul Egan, Detroit Free Press, 26 May 2023
Bills to ban declawing have been introduced in Michigan before, most recently in 2020, but have not been made into law.
—Paul Egan, Detroit Free Press, 26 May 2023
There are two common arguments made for allowing cats to be declawed.
—Hank Sanders, Chicago Tribune, 1 May 2023
The debate around declawing is long-running and fierce.
—Hank Sanders, Chicago Tribune, 1 May 2023
Bonus: His front claws are declawed.
—The Republic, The Arizona Republic, 24 Mar. 2023
These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'declaw.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.
Dictionary Entries Near declaw
Cite this Entry
“Declaw.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/declaw. Accessed 24 Apr. 2024.
Copy CitationMedical Definition
declaw
transitive verb
de·claw
(ˌ)dē-ˈklȯ
: to remove the claws of (a cat) usually with the nail matrix and all or part of the last bone of the toe
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