Illustration of sword
- 1 pommel
- 2 hilt
- 3 guard
- 4 blade
often attributive
1
: a weapon (such as a cutlass or rapier) with a long blade for cutting or thrusting that is often used as a symbol of honor or authority
2
a
: an agency or instrument of destruction or combat
b
: the use of force
The pen is mightier than the sword.—
Edward G. Bulwer-Lytton
Edward G. Bulwer-Lytton3
: coercive power
4
: something that resembles a sword
see also:
Examples of sword in a Sentence
once upon a time dueling with swords was the gentlemanly way to settle a point of honor
Recent Examples on the Web
Bryant then began removing his sword from his backpack, following behind the victim.
—Andrew Adeolu, CBS News, 7 Mar. 2026
Rasoulof and Panahi have fueled the understanding with their personal stories too, the former fleeing from Iran under the sword of a prison sentence and the latter running toward it.
—Steven Zeitchik, HollywoodReporter, 5 Mar. 2026
In a bit of cutting-edge research, the 2007 Ig Nobel Prize in Medicine was awarded to a British and an American pair of scientists for their penetrating report on sword swallowing and its side effects.
—Scott Lafee, San Diego Union-Tribune, 3 Mar. 2026
Magical swords that can make a man as mighty as a god.
—Richard Edwards, Space.com, 3 Mar. 2026
See All Example Sentences for sword
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Andrew Adeolu, CBS News, 7 Mar. 2026
Rasoulof and Panahi have fueled the understanding with their personal stories too, the former fleeing from Iran under the sword of a prison sentence and the latter running toward it.
—Steven Zeitchik, HollywoodReporter, 5 Mar. 2026
In a bit of cutting-edge research, the 2007 Ig Nobel Prize in Medicine was awarded to a British and an American pair of scientists for their penetrating report on sword swallowing and its side effects.
—Scott Lafee, San Diego Union-Tribune, 3 Mar. 2026
Magical swords that can make a man as mighty as a god.
—Richard Edwards, Space.com, 3 Mar. 2026
See All Example Sentences for sword
Cite this Entry
“Sword.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/sword. Accessed 12 Mar. 2026.
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