SAWBONES Synonyms: 45 Similar and Opposite Words

sawbones

noun

ˈsȯ-ˌbōnz

Definition of sawbones

slang

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

Recent Examples of Synonyms for sawbones

Noun

Make sure to ask your doctor what type of chemotherapy you’re being put on and if nail lifting is a possible side effect.

— Maggie Ryan, Flow Space, 30 Oct. 2026
The provision could also have put doctors in a tough spot, since they may have been called upon to help determine whether someone is able to work, which would affect their patients’ coverage.

— Tami Luhby, CNN Money, 30 Oct. 2026

Definition of doctor

Noun

One particularly promising example is an MRI technique that identifies the central vein sign, a feature that can help physicians distinguish lesions associated with MS from abnormalities caused by other conditions.

— Bruce Bebo, STAT, 24 Oct. 2026
The rate of emigration by physicians has nearly doubled since the twenty-tens.

— Daniel Brook, New Yorker, 24 Oct. 2026

Definition of physician

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.

Browse Nearby Words

saw after

sawbones

sawbuck

See all Nearby Words

Articles Related to sawbones

Podcast

Cite this Entry

Style

“Sawbones.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/sawbones. Accessed 2 Nov. 2026.

Copy Citation

Synonyms of sawbones

noun

Example Sentences

Browse Nearby Words

8 More Words for Inept People

Slang Through The Ages

'Ganef,' 'Galoot,' and More Historical...

Podcast

Cite this Entry

More from Merriam-Webster

Word of the Day

satiate

Popular in Grammar & Usage

How to Use 'Who' vs. 'Whom'

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

'Affect' vs. 'Effect'

'A' or 'an'? What about before 'h'? An Indefinite Article Guide

Why is '-ed' sometimes pronounced at the end of a word?

Popular in Wordplay

The Longest Long Words List

9 Words That Sound Like Insults But Aren't

Pwn, Skibidi, Girlboss and Other Words Added to the 2026 SCRABBLE Dictionary

Ten More Words from Taylor Swift Songs

12 Lovely and Unusual Words for the Natural World

Popular

How to Use 'Who' vs. 'Whom'

The Longest Long Words List

9 Words That Sound Like Insults But Aren't

Games & Quizzes