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saw at

phrasal verb

Definition of saw at

: to try to cut (something) by moving a saw, knife, etc., backwards and forwards
  • She was sawing (away) at the turkey with a dull knife.
—sometimes used figuratively
  • The violinist sawed (away) at the strings.

Word by Word Definitions

saw play

  1. : past tense of see

  1. : a hand or power tool or a machine used to cut hard material (such as wood, metal, or bone) and equipped usually with a toothed blade or disk

  1. : to cut with a saw

  2. : to produce or form by cutting with a saw

  3. : to slash as though with a saw

  1. : maxim, proverb

See the full definition of saw

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