bodkin

noun

Definition of bodkinnext
as in poniard

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Example Sentences

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.
Recent Examples of bodkin The bodkins were helpful tools that could double as hairpins. — Doug Ross, Chicago Tribune, 11 Aug. 2025 Icke also occasionally cues up some Bob Dylan songs, chosen for their on-the-bodkin lyrics. — Helen Shaw, Vulture, 30 June 2022 Punishment for cursing or disparaging a clergyman was having a bodkin — a large needle — driven through the tongue. — Michael E. Ruane, Washington Post, 27 Oct. 2017
Recent Examples of Synonyms for bodkin
  1. poniard
  2. dagger
  3. bayonet
  4. stiletto
  5. knife
  6. pocketknife
  7. dirk
  8. cutlass
Noun
  • This includes openly carrying the famous Jim Bowie knife, as well as daggers, dirks, throwing knives, stilettos, poniards, swords, machetes and spears.
    — John Tufts, USA TODAY, 30 Aug. 2017
Definition of poniard
Noun
  • What do bell sleeves, paisley prints, and dagger collars have in common?
    — Georgia Brown, Glamour, 7 Nov. 2026
  • With Stephen Curry connecting on 3-point daggers when needed most, the Warriors extended their winning streak to six.
    — Ira Winderman, Sun Sentinel, 6 Nov. 2026
Definition of dagger
Noun
  • The stone bayonet from the rifle carved over the back of a third statue was also missing.
    — Tessa Solomon, ARTnews.com, 23 Oct. 2026
  • Both his suggestion and the jolly appreciation seem out of tune with the situation ‘far from home’, which may be a military manoeuvre involving mock battles and bayonet practice, or a preparation for actual combat.
    — Literary Hub, Literary Hub, 11 Aug. 2026
Definition of bayonet
Noun
  • But Sarah Chue, a Los Angeles manicurist, adds that the richness and depth of olive polish can also flatter square or stiletto nails.
    — Christina Middleton, Allure, 4 Nov. 2026
  • The singer paired a Ferragamo dress with the same black satin stiletto mules it was shown with on the runway at the Ferragamo spring 2027 fashion show during Milan Fashion Week in September.
    — Karla Rodriguez, Footwear News, 27 Oct. 2026
Definition of stiletto
Noun
  • Three Howard County police officers shot and killed LaMorie, who was armed with a knife.
    — CBS Baltimore, CBS News, 11 Nov. 2026
  • The episode builds to a climactic moment where Flynn’s mother, Skyler, grabs a knife and brandishes it at her husband.
    — Dean Norris, Vanity Fair, 10 Nov. 2026
Definition of knife
Noun
  • It is alleged that the altercation escalated, and Cawthon produced a pocketknife, threatened the victim and stabbed the victim's dog, according to prosecutors.
    — Karma Sabbah, CBS News, 15 Oct. 2026
  • Test your news knowledge with this week's Fox News Digital News Quiz, featuring a controversy over an attorney’s social media post and a pocketknife discovered by Transportation Security Administration officers.
    — Staff, FOXNews.com, 25 Sep. 2026
Definition of pocketknife
Noun
  • Police said Johnson was on probation for a previous conviction for possession of a dirk or dagger at the time of his arrest.
    — Tim Fang, CBS News, 28 Apr. 2026
  • Additionally, one person was arrested on suspicion of possessing a dirk or dagger, police said.
    — City News Service, Daily News, 29 Mar. 2026
Definition of dirk
Noun
  • The workers blamed Landi — who was still in charge — for their troubles, and an image of Landi posing, pirate-style, with a cartoon-villain expression and a cutlass between his teeth became a symbol for Eutelia’s misdeeds.
    — Atossa Araxia Abrahamian Atossa Araxia Abrahamian, New York Times, 7 Jan. 2025
  • The ultimate prop was the pirate flag, which could be decorated with a skull and crossbones (as in the classic Jolly Roger design), bleeding hearts, hourglasses, spears, cutlasses and skeletons.
    — Sean Kingsley, Smithsonian Magazine, 15 May 2024
Definition of cutlass

Browse Nearby Words

bodings
bodkin
bodkins
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Cite this Entry

“Bodkin.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/bodkin. Accessed 13 Nov. 2026.

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