utility knife

noun

|Updated on: 17 Aug 2018

Definition of utility knife

: a knife designed for general use

a chef's utility knife

; specifically : a cutting tool having a sharp replaceable blade that can be retracted into a usually metal handle

See utility knife defined for English-language learners

Recent Examples of utility knife from the Web

Milwaukee Tool has recently jumped into the utility knife field with their Hardline knives.

— timothy dahl, Popular Mechanics, "Why You Should Carry a Pocketknife With You Every Day," 25 Jan. 2017
Littlefield had a trusty utility knife, and the door possessed a thin section of partitioning that could be pried up by the workings of a blade.

— paul collins, BostonGlobe.com, "What lies in the lab: The gruesome murder at Harvard that transfixed New England," 11 July 2018
Clothing, glasses, cash, utility knife and driving gloves were reported stolen June 23 from an unlocked 2014 BMW parked in the 7800 block of Cortland Avenue.

— deborah kadin, chicagotribune.com, "Elmwood Park and River Grove police reports," 6 July 2018
On one of the short ends of the raft (or the flat area that is at least two inches long), about half an inch in from the end of the raft, take a utility knife and carefully cut out a square about one inch by one inch in size.

— science buddies, Scientific American, "Surface Tension Science: Build a Raft Powered by Soap," 26 June 2014
Finally, hold the paint guide along the top edge, where the ceiling meets the wall, and cut excess paper off with a utility knife.

— daniel bortz, sacbee, "Four home-improvement jobs you can knock out," 15 June 2018
Gently turn utility knife inside crack to enlarge it slightly.

— the editors of house beautiful, House Beautiful, "How to Fix Holes or Cracks in Plaster," 11 Feb. 2015
There's a utility knife, a 16-foot tape measurer, and an adjustable wrench.

— david grossman, Popular Mechanics, "This Stanley Toolkit Is a Perfect DIY Starter Kit," 14 Dec. 2017
Cardboard or paper will peel off; cut plastic with a utility knife, then pull it away.

— martha stewart, star-telegram, "DIY projects: elegant table linens, instant art, winning storage solutions and more | Fort Worth Star-Telegram," 27 Apr. 2018

These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'utility knife.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.