as in knives
an instrument with a metal length that has a sharp edge for cutting
slashed at the prison guard with a shank he had secretly made from a scrap of metal
Synonyms & Similar 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 shanks
Lucrezia’s Regularly voted the region’s top Italian restaurant, Lucrezia’s serves housemade pasta, classic Italian appetizers, and braised lamb shanks and short ribs in a garden setting.
—
Iona Brannon, Travel + Leisure, 21 Nov. 2025
Boos rain down as Jeremy Crawshaw shanks that punt off the side of his foot.
—Joe Nguyen, Denver Post, 6 Nov. 2025
Homemade knives, called shanks, are plentiful inside the prison, several inmates said.
—Kristine Phillips, IndyStar, 5 Nov. 2025
Some of my favorite cuts for braising include pork shoulder, beef brisket, short ribs, chicken thighs, and lamb shanks.
—Carole Kotkin, Miami Herald, 7 Oct. 2025
Lamb shanks are braised in Malbec till they can be shredded and made into croquettes with provoleta cheese and a yogurt mint sauce.
—John Mariani, Forbes.com, 17 Sep. 2025
After a couple shanks, Sanchez launches one on line.
—Brian Hamilton, New York Times, 27 Aug. 2025
Frozen lamb shanks were improperly thawed in the prep sink without running water.
—Sacbee.com, 8 Aug. 2025
Each probe consists of four parallel shanks, and each shank is studded with 1,280 electrodes.
—IEEE Spectrum, 28 May 2022
Iona Brannon, Travel + Leisure, 21 Nov. 2025
Boos rain down as Jeremy Crawshaw shanks that punt off the side of his foot.
—Joe Nguyen, Denver Post, 6 Nov. 2025
Homemade knives, called shanks, are plentiful inside the prison, several inmates said.
—Kristine Phillips, IndyStar, 5 Nov. 2025
Some of my favorite cuts for braising include pork shoulder, beef brisket, short ribs, chicken thighs, and lamb shanks.
—Carole Kotkin, Miami Herald, 7 Oct. 2025
Lamb shanks are braised in Malbec till they can be shredded and made into croquettes with provoleta cheese and a yogurt mint sauce.
—John Mariani, Forbes.com, 17 Sep. 2025
After a couple shanks, Sanchez launches one on line.
—Brian Hamilton, New York Times, 27 Aug. 2025
Frozen lamb shanks were improperly thawed in the prep sink without running water.
—Sacbee.com, 8 Aug. 2025
Each probe consists of four parallel shanks, and each shank is studded with 1,280 electrodes.
—IEEE Spectrum, 28 May 2022
Recent Examples of Synonyms for shanks
Noun
-
Authorities later recovered two knives near his body.—
Jessica Schladebeck,
New York Daily News,
7 Jan. 2026
-
So it was decreed that the cutting edges of knives should be turned towards their owners, thus symbolizing their peaceful intent.—
Judith Martin,
Sun Sentinel,
5 Jan. 2026
Noun
-
Box cutters, pocketknives, Swiss Army knives, and utility knives can cause a hold-up at security checkpoints, and you won’t be allowed to take them on the plane in your carry-on.—
Karen Brewer Grossman,
Southern Living,
12 Jan. 2026
-
The vessel is the only active Coast Guard unit in Orange County and is one of seven cutters that operate in the Coast Guard’s Southern California fleet.—
Erika I. Ritchie,
Oc Register,
3 Jan. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Shanks.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/shanks. Accessed 18 Jan. 2026.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
