: a piece of a substance (such as wood or iron) that tapers to a thin edge and is used for splitting wood and rocks, raising heavy bodies, or for tightening by being driven into something
2
a
: something (such as a policy) causing a breach or separation
b
: something used to initiate an action or development
3
: something wedge-shaped: such as
a
: an array of troops or tanks in the form of a wedge
b
: the wedge-shaped stroke in cuneiform characters
c
: a shoe having a heel extending from the back of the shoe to the front of the shank and a tread formed by an extension of the sole
d
: an iron golf club with a broad low-angled face for maximum loft
Noun
He used a wedge to split the firewood.
A wedge held the door open.
The battalion formed a wedge and marched toward the enemy. Verb
She wedged her foot into the crack.
The dog got wedged between the couch and the end table.
I wedged myself into the car's back seat.
She wedged the door open.
Recent Examples on the Web
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to
show current usage.Read More
Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors.
Send us feedback.
Noun
Dress it up with wedges and jewelry for a wine tasting, or pair it with hotel slippers for room service.—Katie Jackson, Travel + Leisure, 5 July 2025 Serve it with pineapple wedges or atop a slice of pound cake.—Kaitlyn Yarborough, Southern Living, 4 July 2025
Verb
Angel Reese wedged herself in the paint, peeking at the rim while warding off one, two and sometimes three Valkyries on Friday night at Chase Center.—Joseph Dycus, Mercury News, 28 June 2025 The building was ripped open on one end, all the furniture was smashed up against the other end and a black pickup truck was wedged against one of the walls.—Laura Sullivan, NPR, 8 June 2025 See All Example Sentences for wedge
Word History
Etymology
Noun
Middle English wegge, from Old English wecg; akin to Old High German wecki wedge, Lithuanian vagis
First Known Use
Noun
before the 12th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1
Share