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
Ruth Abramovitz, Sun Sentinel, 6 June 2026
Ultimately, the film’s biggest takeaway dovetails with the way in which Cruising is viewed at almost five decades’ distance.
—David Rooney, HollywoodReporter, 6 June 2026
See All Example Sentences for dovetail
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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 lab’s work also will prioritize projects that dovetail with the Florida-Israel Institute, which is administered through FAU.
—Ruth Abramovitz, Sun Sentinel, 6 June 2026
Ultimately, the film’s biggest takeaway dovetails with the way in which Cruising is viewed at almost five decades’ distance.
—David Rooney, HollywoodReporter, 6 June 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 14 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
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