jawbone

1 of 2

noun

jaw·​bone ˈjȯ-ˌbōn How to pronounce jawbone (audio)
: 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
The scientific smoking gun for early horse domestication, though, was a set of changes found on some Botai horse teeth and jawbones. William Taylor, The Conversation, 3 Sep. 2024 The haul included most of a tusk, parts of a skull and a jawbone with teeth. Cara Tabachnick, CBS News, 16 Aug. 2024
Verb
Since at least the 1990s, the conventional wisdom among presidents and their close advisers has been that jawboning the Fed is counterproductive. Neil Irwin, Axios, 9 Aug. 2024 The jawboning case was one of several high-profile matters the court is deciding at intersection of the First Amendment and social media. Cnn.com Wire Service, The Mercury News, 26 June 2024 See all Example Sentences for jawbone 

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'jawbone.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Word History

First Known Use

Noun

15th century, in the meaning defined above

Verb

1965, in the meaning defined at transitive sense

Time Traveler
The first known use of jawbone was in the 15th century

Dictionary Entries Near jawbone

Cite this Entry

“Jawbone.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/jawbone. Accessed 2 Nov. 2024.

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 sense 1
especially : mandible

More from Merriam-Webster on jawbone

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
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