as in doctor
a person specially trained in healing human medical disorders
a real old-timer who remembers when you could expect a sawbones to make a house call
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
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 sawbones
Under the Knife 2 continues the story of Dr. Derek Stiles, the brilliant young sawbones from the original game.
—
Earnest Cavalli, WIRED, 1 July 2008
Earnest Cavalli, WIRED, 1 July 2008
Recent Examples of Synonyms for sawbones
Noun
-
The accuser reported the assault during a doctor's appointment in December, according to court documents.—
Lori Dunn,
Arkansas Online,
8 Jan. 2026
-
At first, doctors sent them home from the hospital with instructions to monitor her symptoms.—
Leondra Head,
CBS News,
8 Jan. 2026
Noun
-
The Wisconsin Medical Society argued the change could cause confusion for patients, as PAs are not physicians.—
Jessie Opoien,
jsonline.com,
7 Nov. 2025
-
The move is being welcomed by some advocates, physicians and scientists.—
NPR,
NPR,
7 Nov. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Sawbones.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/sawbones. Accessed 9 Jan. 2026.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
Share