Illustration of dovetail
- 1 mortises
- 2 tenons
- 3 joint
: something resembling a dove's tail
especially
: a flaring tenon and a mortise into which it fits tightly making an interlocking joint between two pieces (as of wood)
dovetailed; dovetailing; dovetails
1
a
: to join by means of dovetails
b
: to cut to a dovetail
2
a
: to fit skillfully to form a whole
b
: to fit together with
: to fit together into a whole
Examples of dovetail in a Sentence
Verb
the Union and the Confederate accounts of the battle don't dovetail at all
Recent Examples on the Web
Julie Kratz, Forbes.com, 31 May 2026
Many of the details in the government’s case dovetail with those revealed in a 2012 Kansas City Star investigation, which found that Jones and other executives were living the good life.
—Judy L. Thomas, Kansas City Star, 2 May 2026
Josh Robbins, New York Times, 28 May 2026
Such overtures are hardly new, but this particular solicitation appears notable partly because the company is being very direct about seeking research that is designed to address specific points, rather than solicit topics that may — or may not — dovetail with corporate goals.
—Ed Silverman, STAT, 22 May 2026
See All Example Sentences for dovetail
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.
Noun
Next, dovetail into the specific, observable behavior.
—Julie Kratz, Forbes.com, 31 May 2026
Many of the details in the government’s case dovetail with those revealed in a 2012 Kansas City Star investigation, which found that Jones and other executives were living the good life.
—Judy L. Thomas, Kansas City Star, 2 May 2026
Verb
The timing dovetails nicely with the transformation of the arena.
—Josh Robbins, New York Times, 28 May 2026
Such overtures are hardly new, but this particular solicitation appears notable partly because the company is being very direct about seeking research that is designed to address specific points, rather than solicit topics that may — or may not — dovetail with corporate goals.
—Ed Silverman, STAT, 22 May 2026
See All Example Sentences for dovetail
Cite this Entry
“Dovetail.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/dovetail. Accessed 3 Jun. 2026.
Copy CitationKids Definition
dovetail
1 of 2 noun
dove·tail
-ˌtāl 
: something shaped like a dove's tail
especially
: a joint between two pieces (as of wood) formed by a wedge-shaped part that fits tightly into a wedge-shaped slot in the other piece
dovetail
2 of 2 verb1
a
: to join by means of dovetails
b
: to cut to a dovetail
2
: to fit skillfully together to form a whole
Love words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
