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.
The show is a big-time ratings hit for HBO, and its first season was an Emmys favorite that had the misfortune of walking into the final-season Succession buzz saw. Joe Reid, Vulture, 15 Mar. 2025 Just a classic buzz saw situation for Alabama with OU shooting 64.1%. Michael Casagrande | McAsagrande@al.com, al, 28 Jan. 2023 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

Browse Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Buzz saw.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/buzz%20saw. Accessed 14 Feb. 2026.

Kids Definition

buzz saw

noun
Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!

More from Merriam-Webster