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
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.
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 

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 25 Nov. 2024.

Kids Definition

buzz saw

noun
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