Illustration of scythe
: an implement used for mowing grass, grain, or other crops and composed of a long curving blade fastened at an angle to a long handle
scythed; scything
: to use a scythe
: to cut with or as if with a scythe
scything cornstalks
Examples of scythe in a Sentence
Recent Examples on the Web
Kate Eshelby, Travel + Leisure, 16 Sep. 2023
In the video, the rapper dances with both the devil and a Grim Reaper-esque Death figure, who wields a scythe.
—Mitchell Peters, Billboard, 26 Aug. 2023
As seen the photo, the scythe’s handle slides down the back of her neck while the pointy blade wraps around her ear.
—Mitchell Peters, Billboard, 26 Aug. 2023
The 27-year-old rapper took to her Instagram Story on Saturday (Aug. 26) to show off a fresh tattoo of a scythe on the side of her head.
—Mitchell Peters, Billboard, 26 Aug. 2023
The current one is blue (the same blue as the US flag) and emblazoned with the state’s seal, a pine tree flanked by a farmer leaning on a scythe and a mariner leaning on an anchor.
—Kevin Cullen, BostonGlobe.com, 23 July 2023
And all the while, a light show scythes through the nimbus of fragrant blue cigar smoke hanging above partygoers’ heads.
—Nicholas Foulkes, Robb Report, 15 Apr. 2023
In The Race Track (Death on a Pale Horse), inspired by a waiter who killed himself after making a bad wager, a skeletal figure armed with a scythe rides a pale horse, while a menacing snake monitors his progress.
—Christopher Benfey, The New York Review of Books, 7 Oct. 2021
Uhlfelder, who gained notoriety in the early days of the pandemic by dressing as Death complete with a black robe and scythe on crowded beaches and other public areas, sued DeSantis in March to try to force the state to close beaches and impose a statewide shutdown.
—Steven Lemongello, orlandosentinel.com, 11 Dec. 2020
Sarah Lyall, New York Times, 20 Apr. 2023
One fun way to encourage kids to get out into the heart of a meadow area and witness its wildlife and plants up close is to mow or scythe a maze into it that kids can run or walk through.
—Elizabeth Waddington, Treehugger, 27 Mar. 2023
The hydrofoils position the boat above the majority of waves, and the carbon stilts are slim enough to scythe through the water like tiny dolphins.
—WIRED, 14 Mar. 2023
Their manual shifters scythe through the gates without resistance, and their dual-clutch automatics are lightning quick yet also flawlessly behaved around town.
—Rich Ceppos, Car and Driver, 17 Nov. 2021
Larger-voltage mowers can even scythe through 8,000 to 10,000 square feet.
—Roy Berendsohn, Popular Mechanics, 14 Oct. 2021
Jones is as formidable as ever, and Vincent D’Onofrio gives a sombre and riveting portrayal of Jerry Falwell, the Baptist Savonarola, who doesn’t hesitate to scythe down the Bakkers for their sins.
—Anthony Lan, The New Yorker, 17 Sep. 2021
Many live in crowded, unsanitary camps, creating fears COVID-19 could scythe through a vulnerable population.
—Reuters, CNN, 6 Nov. 2020
Covid-19 continues to scythe through the halls of long-term care facilities despite an array of safety measures and bans on visitors, put in place months ago to slow the devastation.
—New York Times, 30 Oct. 2020
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Noun
Transylvania, Romania’s largest and most famous region, is a place where blacksmiths still mold metal, shepherds live alone with their flocks, and hay is cut with scythes.
—Kate Eshelby, Travel + Leisure, 16 Sep. 2023
In the video, the rapper dances with both the devil and a Grim Reaper-esque Death figure, who wields a scythe.
—Mitchell Peters, Billboard, 26 Aug. 2023
As seen the photo, the scythe’s handle slides down the back of her neck while the pointy blade wraps around her ear.
—Mitchell Peters, Billboard, 26 Aug. 2023
The 27-year-old rapper took to her Instagram Story on Saturday (Aug. 26) to show off a fresh tattoo of a scythe on the side of her head.
—Mitchell Peters, Billboard, 26 Aug. 2023
The current one is blue (the same blue as the US flag) and emblazoned with the state’s seal, a pine tree flanked by a farmer leaning on a scythe and a mariner leaning on an anchor.
—Kevin Cullen, BostonGlobe.com, 23 July 2023
And all the while, a light show scythes through the nimbus of fragrant blue cigar smoke hanging above partygoers’ heads.
—Nicholas Foulkes, Robb Report, 15 Apr. 2023
In The Race Track (Death on a Pale Horse), inspired by a waiter who killed himself after making a bad wager, a skeletal figure armed with a scythe rides a pale horse, while a menacing snake monitors his progress.
—Christopher Benfey, The New York Review of Books, 7 Oct. 2021
Uhlfelder, who gained notoriety in the early days of the pandemic by dressing as Death complete with a black robe and scythe on crowded beaches and other public areas, sued DeSantis in March to try to force the state to close beaches and impose a statewide shutdown.
—Steven Lemongello, orlandosentinel.com, 11 Dec. 2020
Verb
It’s farmed using traditional methods — scythed by hand and visited each autumn by Shropshire sheep.
—Sarah Lyall, New York Times, 20 Apr. 2023
One fun way to encourage kids to get out into the heart of a meadow area and witness its wildlife and plants up close is to mow or scythe a maze into it that kids can run or walk through.
—Elizabeth Waddington, Treehugger, 27 Mar. 2023
The hydrofoils position the boat above the majority of waves, and the carbon stilts are slim enough to scythe through the water like tiny dolphins.
—WIRED, 14 Mar. 2023
Their manual shifters scythe through the gates without resistance, and their dual-clutch automatics are lightning quick yet also flawlessly behaved around town.
—Rich Ceppos, Car and Driver, 17 Nov. 2021
Larger-voltage mowers can even scythe through 8,000 to 10,000 square feet.
—Roy Berendsohn, Popular Mechanics, 14 Oct. 2021
Jones is as formidable as ever, and Vincent D’Onofrio gives a sombre and riveting portrayal of Jerry Falwell, the Baptist Savonarola, who doesn’t hesitate to scythe down the Bakkers for their sins.
—Anthony Lan, The New Yorker, 17 Sep. 2021
Many live in crowded, unsanitary camps, creating fears COVID-19 could scythe through a vulnerable population.
—Reuters, CNN, 6 Nov. 2020
Covid-19 continues to scythe through the halls of long-term care facilities despite an array of safety measures and bans on visitors, put in place months ago to slow the devastation.
—New York Times, 30 Oct. 2020
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These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'scythe.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.
Word History
Etymology
Noun
Middle English sithe, from Old English sīthe; akin to Old English sagu saw — more at saw
First Known Use
Noun
before the 12th century, in the meaning defined above
Verb
circa 1580, in the meaning defined at intransitive sense
Time Traveler
The first known use of scythe was
before the 12th century
Dictionary Entries Near scythe
Cite this Entry
“Scythe.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/scythe. Accessed 4 Oct. 2023.
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Kids Definition
scythe
nounˈsīt͟h,
sī
: a tool that has a curved blade on a long curved handle and is used for mowing grass or grain by hand
More from Merriam-Webster on scythe
Nglish: Translation of scythe for Spanish Speakers
Britannica English: Translation of scythe for Arabic Speakers
Britannica.com: Encyclopedia article about scythe
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