1
: one that cleaves
especially
: a butcher's implement for cutting animal carcasses into joints or pieces
2
: a prehistoric stone tool having a sharp edge at one end
Examples of cleaver in a Sentence
Recent Examples on the Web
Meat cleavers were wedged between the chicken cutting table and wall.
—
Camila Pedrosa, Sacramento Bee, 28 Feb. 2025
Prosecutors added, per the Republic, that Inoue had a meat cleaver with her.
—Nicole Acosta, People.com, 25 Feb. 2025
The oldest one, a cleaver, is from 1998, the same year the store opened.
—Vanessa Anderson, Los Angeles Times, 18 Feb. 2025
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USAID gutting hits Colorado as organizations, small businesses struggle to survive
Will the Denver Federal Center in Lakewood survive the Trump administration’s cost-cutting cleaver?
—David Bauder, The Denver Post, 14 Feb. 2025
See All Example Sentences for cleaver
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Camila Pedrosa, Sacramento Bee, 28 Feb. 2025
Prosecutors added, per the Republic, that Inoue had a meat cleaver with her.
—Nicole Acosta, People.com, 25 Feb. 2025
The oldest one, a cleaver, is from 1998, the same year the store opened.
—Vanessa Anderson, Los Angeles Times, 18 Feb. 2025
Related Articles Zelenskyy calls for ‘armed forces of Europe’ as EU leaders bristle at new US policies on Ukraine
USAID gutting hits Colorado as organizations, small businesses struggle to survive
Will the Denver Federal Center in Lakewood survive the Trump administration’s cost-cutting cleaver?
—David Bauder, The Denver Post, 14 Feb. 2025
See All Example Sentences for cleaver
Cite this Entry
“Cleaver.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/cleaver. Accessed 12 Mar. 2025.
Copy CitationKids Definition
cleaver
noun
cleav·er
ˈklē-vər 
: a heavy knife with a wide blade
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