jawbone

1 of 2

noun

jaw·​bone ˈjȯ-ˌbōn 

: jaw sense 1a

especially : mandible

jawbone

2 of 2

verb

jawboned; jawboning; jawbones

transitive verb

: to speak forcefully and persuasively to

jawboned them into accepting the deal

intransitive verb

: to talk especially forcefully and persuasively

jawboning about the tax cuts

Examples of jawbone in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

Noun

Specialists have so far identified a jawbone, fragments of tusks, part of a shoulder blade, and a femur with its articular head among the stash, Nenov said. — CBS News, 4 Aug. 2026

For percussion, the Peruvian quijada was utilized; it’s made from the jawbone of a donkey. — Selena Fragassi, SPIN, 9 July 2026

Verb

The sharp gains were fueled by a combination of direct purchases of the yen, calls by officials to banks that trade the currency and jawboning from US Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent and Japanese Finance Minister Satsuki Katayama. — Shintaro Inkyo, Fortune, 1 Aug. 2026

The conference circuit’s jawboning strategy — that crypto price will obey the pulpit — appears to have stopped applying. — Isabelle Lee, Bloomberg, 30 Apr. 2026

Word History

First Known Use

Noun

15th century, in the meaning defined above

Verb

1965, in the meaning defined at transitive sense

Rhymes for jawbone

• alone
• atone
• backbone
• bemoan
• bluestone
• breastbone
• brownstone
• capstone
• cheekbone
• condone
• curbstone
• cyclone

Kids Definition

jawbone

noun

jaw·​bone

ˈjȯ-ˈbōn, 

-ˌbōn

: one of the bones of an animal's jaw

especially : mandible sense 1a

Medical Definition

jawbone

noun

jaw·​bone ˈjȯ-ˈbōn, -ˌbōn 

: jaw sense 1

especially : mandible