: a mallet used (as by a presiding officer or auctioneer) for commanding attention or confirming an action (such as a vote or sale)
gaveled or gavelled; gaveling or gavelling
ˈga-v(ə-)liŋ 
: to bring or force by use of a gavel
gaveled the audience to silence
Examples of gavel in a Sentence
Recent Examples on the Web
The Editors, The Atlantic, 4 Jan. 2025
House Republicans' mainstream wing is warning Speaker Mike Johnson (R-La.) not to repeat his predecessor's mistake of giving away the store to his right-wing detractors to retain his gavel, Axios has learned.
—Andrew Solender, Axios, 2 Jan. 2025
Torey Van Oot, Axios, 14 Jan. 2025
House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, D-Calif., gavels in the joint session of Congress.
—Sarah D. Wire, USA TODAY, 4 Jan. 2025
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Noun
Mike Johnson keeps the speaker’s gavel after Donald Trump persuades holdouts to switch their vote.
—The Editors, The Atlantic, 4 Jan. 2025
House Republicans' mainstream wing is warning Speaker Mike Johnson (R-La.) not to repeat his predecessor's mistake of giving away the store to his right-wing detractors to retain his gavel, Axios has learned.
—Andrew Solender, Axios, 2 Jan. 2025
Verb
The Minnesota Legislature gavels in at the State Capitol on Tuesday with just over five months to strike a bipartisan budget deal and avoid a state government shutdown.
—Torey Van Oot, Axios, 14 Jan. 2025
House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, D-Calif., gavels in the joint session of Congress.
—Sarah D. Wire, USA TODAY, 4 Jan. 2025
See all Example Sentences for gavel
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Cite this Entry
“Gavel.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/gavel. Accessed 30 Jan. 2025.
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