buzz saw

noun

plural buzz saws
1
: a power saw with a circular cutting blade : circular saw
2
: someone or something that presents overwhelming opposition
The Buckeyes have been a buzz saw …, winning by an average of 47.7 points in a 4-0 start.Tom Dienhart
usually used in the phrase run/walk into a buzz saw
… the organizers ran into a buzz saw of complaints about many of its proposed venues, which had not been vetted with some of the landlords or the public.Katharine Q. Seelye
They ran into a buzz saw Saturday night against … Kentucky, a loss that likely means a new No. 1 on Monday.John Marshall
Never before has a president asked a Supreme Court nominee to walk into a political buzz saw quite like this.Susan Davis

Examples of buzz saw in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web Just a classic buzz saw situation for Alabama with OU shooting 64.1%. Michael Casagrande | McAsagrande@al.com, al, 28 Jan. 2023 The view from space of the monster storm cutting into the Florida Panhandle coast like a buzz saw is both terrifying and strangely mesmerizing. Tom Yulsman, Discover Magazine, 11 Oct. 2018 After two straight losing seasons, Louisiana State was sailing toward a potential playoff berth under first-year coach Brian Kelly until the Tigers ran into a Texas A&M buzz saw last week, losing 38-23. John Scheibe, Los Angeles Times, 1 Dec. 2022 Storm get second-round buzz saw in Maine South (8-2), which beat Bolingbrook 24-0. Rick Armstrong, Chicago Tribune, 1 Nov. 2022 See all Example Sentences for buzz saw 

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'buzz saw.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Word History

First Known Use

1837, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Time Traveler
The first known use of buzz saw was in 1837

Dictionary Entries Near buzz saw

Cite this Entry

“Buzz saw.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/buzz%20saw. Accessed 5 Nov. 2024.

Kids Definition

buzz saw

noun
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