dagger

noun

Definition of daggernext
as in poniard
a sharp pointed knife that is used as a weapon

Related Words

Relevance

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 dagger But Danielson kept the ball in Cutforth’s hands, who threw a dagger down the middle on fourth-and-10 to a diving Jones at the back of the end zone for the latter’s third receiving touchdown of the day. — Idaho Statesman, 1 Nov. 2026 Discordant keys fly like daggers while snares trip over bass thuds; there’s a jazzy piano interlude, and then a murderous hard-rock siege razes the mix to the ground. — Kieran Press-Reynolds, Pitchfork, 29 Oct. 2026 He had been subbed out for Cayden Boozer seconds before the deflection and the devastating 35-foot dagger from Braylon Mullins that sent the Blue Devils packing and UConn back to the Final Four. — Joe Arruda, Hartford Courant, 29 Oct. 2026 But go pee with caution, and ask to see the dagger at your own risk. — Adam Harrington, CBS News, 27 Oct. 2026 See All Example Sentences for dagger
Recent Examples of Synonyms for dagger
  1. poniard
  2. bayonet
  3. machete
  4. cutlass
  5. stiletto
  6. dirk
  7. switchblade
  8. pocketknife
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
  • 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
  • He was then attacked with a machete, suffering a fatal head wound, per the outlet.
    — Angel Saunders, PEOPLE, 5 Nov. 2026
  • Researchers verified video of an officer carrying a machete that day, but did not establish who killed him.
    — Antonio María Delgado, Miami Herald, 28 Oct. 2026
Definition of machete
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
Noun
  • 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
  • An effortless stiletto mule and a compact shoulder bag add just enough to this ensemble without going overboard.
    — Ali Faccenda, InStyle, 23 Oct. 2026
Definition of stiletto
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
  • Markos takes revenge by slicing up Matt’s face with a switchblade, leaving him horribly disfigured and his acting career essentially over.
    — Frank Scheck, HollywoodReporter, 21 Oct. 2026
  • Officers found a switchblade and a glass drug pipe in his pants pockets, according to the complaint.
    — Danny Freeman, CNN Money, 11 Oct. 2026
Definition of switchblade
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

Browse Nearby Words

daftness
dagger
daggerlike
See all Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Dagger.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/dagger. Accessed 11 Nov. 2026.

Copy Citation

More from Merriam-Webster on dagger

Britannica.com: Encyclopedia article about dagger

Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences

More from Merriam-Webster

Word of the Day

Listen to the pronunciation of valorous

See Definitions and Examples »

Popular in Grammar & Usage

See More

How to Use 'Who' vs. 'Whom'

31 Useful Rhetorical Devices

More Commonly Misspelled Words

Merriam-Webster’s Great Big List of Words You Love to Hate

'Affect' vs. 'Effect'
See More

Popular in Wordplay

See More

Great Big List of Beautiful and Useless Words, Vol. 5

9 Words That Sound Like Insults But Aren't

The Longest Long Words List

Even More Bird Names that Sound Like Insults (and Sometimes Are)

12 Lovely and Unusual Words for the Natural World
See More

Popular

See More

How to Use 'Who' vs. 'Whom'

Great Big List of Beautiful and Useless Words, Vol. 5

9 Words That Sound Like Insults But Aren't
See More

Games & Quizzes

See All
Play Quordle: Guess all four words in a limited number of tries. Each of your guesses must be a real 5-letter word.
Quordle Can you solve 4 words at once?
Play Blossom: Solve today's spelling word game by finding as many words as you can using just 7 letters. Longer words score more points.
Blossom Pick the best words!
Play Missing Letter: a crossword with a twist. Each of the 25 puzzle words start with a different letter of the alphabet. Which letter is missing?
The Missing Letter A daily crossword with a twist
woman sitting on floor holding book in front of her face on pink background
Famous Novels, Last Lines Quiz Needless to say, spoiler alert.
See All