1
a
: the joint of the human arm
b
: a corresponding joint in the anterior limb of a lower vertebrate
2
: something (such as macaroni or an angular pipe fitting) resembling an elbow
see also:
elbowed; elbowing; elbows
1
a
: to push with the elbow : jostle
b
: to shove aside by pushing with or as if with the elbow
people elbowed each other to get a better view
2
: to force (one's way) by pushing with or as if with the elbow
elbowing our way through the crowd
Examples of elbow in a Sentence
Noun
He wore a tattered coat with holes in the elbows.
Verb
The actor's bodyguards rudely elbowed everyone out of the way.
Everyone was shoving and elbowing to get a good position.
Recent Examples on the Web
Abbey Mastracco, New York Daily News, 28 Feb. 2026
Bend your elbows to bring your chest toward the wall, then press back to the starting position.
—Dana Santas Feb 28, CNN Money, 28 Feb. 2026
Rose Horowitch, The Atlantic, 18 Feb. 2026
Crinon had just exited the penalty box after elbowing Nathan MacKinnon in the chin; Wilson target-locked on Crinon and hit him cleanly before things devolved.
—Sean Gentille, New York Times, 18 Feb. 2026
See All Example Sentences for elbow
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Noun
His elbow was nearly in tatters by the summer, with the right-handed journeyman needing significant time to warm up and days to recover.
—Abbey Mastracco, New York Daily News, 28 Feb. 2026
Bend your elbows to bring your chest toward the wall, then press back to the starting position.
—Dana Santas Feb 28, CNN Money, 28 Feb. 2026
Verb
Daniel Diermeier, the school’s chancellor, is widely perceived within higher ed as trying to elbow into the Harvard-Yale-Stanford stratum.
—Rose Horowitch, The Atlantic, 18 Feb. 2026
Crinon had just exited the penalty box after elbowing Nathan MacKinnon in the chin; Wilson target-locked on Crinon and hit him cleanly before things devolved.
—Sean Gentille, New York Times, 18 Feb. 2026
See All Example Sentences for elbow
Cite this Entry
“Elbow.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/elbow. Accessed 2 Mar. 2026.
Copy CitationKids Definition
elbow
1 of 2 noun
el·bow
ˈel-ˌbō 
1
a
: the joint of the arm
also
: the outer curve of a bent arm
b
: a corresponding joint in the front limb of an animal
2
: a part (as of a pipe) bent like an elbow
elbow
2 of 2 verb1
: to push or shove with the elbow : jostle
2
: to advance by or as if by pushing with the elbow
elbowed his way to the front
Medical Definition
elbow
noun
el·bow
ˈel-ˌbō
1
: the joint between the human forearm and the upper arm that supports the outer curve of the arm when bent
called also elbow joint
2
: a joint in the anterior limb of a lower vertebrate corresponding to the elbow
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