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
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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
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That includes asking questions from both the patient’s and doctor’s perspective.—
Hadas Gold,
CNN Money,
17 Feb. 2026
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Many of those mothers might otherwise have arrived at the emergency room in labor without ever seeing a doctor.—
Shane Strum,
Sun Sentinel,
17 Feb. 2026
Noun
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Vietnamese refugees who arrived in the 1970s and 80s transformed a stretch of run-down shops into a vibrant commercial district, and their children entered Oklahoma’s mainstream as judges, physicians, attorneys and business owners.—
Ben Fenwick,
Oklahoma Watch,
18 Feb. 2026
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Thomas More Society filed the complaint on behalf of pregnancy centers and physicians who cannot in good conscience comply.—
Chicago Tribune,
Chicago Tribune,
18 Feb. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Sawbones.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/sawbones. Accessed 19 Feb. 2026.
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