How to Use dowel in a Sentence

dowel

noun
  • Just stick the dowel through the apple.
    Ray Petelin, CBS News, 7 Mar. 2026
  • One set of dowels is worth one point and the other set is worth three.
    Bestreviews, Chicago Tribune, 13 Mar. 2026
  • Add a drop of glue and tap a wood plug or piece of dowel into the hole.
    Brandee Gruener, Southern Living, 13 Oct. 2025
  • There are too many dowels, and some of them won’t fit into any of the holes.
    Pat Fitzmaurice, SI.com, 2 Aug. 2017
  • Use the tack to attach the pinwheel to the top of a dowel rod.
    Megan Arnett, Scientific American, 29 Mar. 2018
  • Thread rolls of ribbon over dowels and place dowels in hooks.
    Laurren Welch, Country Living, 17 Apr. 2023
  • Just take a look at their pine wood dowel hooks that resemble a piece of art.
    Yelena Moroz Alpert, Architectural Digest, 10 Oct. 2025
  • Use wood filler, dowels, or even steel wool to fill the holes before painting over them.
    Karen Brewer Grossman, Southern Living, 23 Apr. 2026
  • As for legs, make sure they are connected to the frame with screws or dowels — not just glued on.
    Caron Golden, San Diego Union-Tribune, 24 June 2023
  • To store taller items, add an extra dowel or a simple piece of wire across the top of your box.
    Sophia Beams, Better Homes & Gardens, 7 Feb. 2026
  • Caspi only used a power tool once to drill in the dowel for the pencil’s tip.
    Alison Cross, Hartford Courant, 20 July 2022
  • Fashion your own clothing rack out of two ladders, a pair of planks, and a dowel.
    Alyssa Gautieri, Good Housekeeping, 30 Sep. 2022
  • With the shade lowered, the outside dowel ends fit into these holes.
    Scott Flickinger, Popular Mechanics, 27 Feb. 2021
  • Suspend the funnel from a broomstick or dowel (or just hold it).
    Rachelle Doorley, Parents, 16 Aug. 2023
  • Glue a dowel plug into each hole [8] and cut it flush to the face of the seat board [9].
    Neal Barrett, Popular Mechanics, 31 July 2021
  • Apply polyurethane to both dowels, then glue and screw the shorter dowel to the longer one.
    Roy Berendsohn and Joseph Truini, Popular Mechanics, 28 Nov. 2020
  • The researchers chased the lizards up the dowel and used infrared beams to measure their fastest speed.
    Elizabeth Preston, Discover Magazine, 27 Jan. 2015
  • Bore the pilot hole for an eye screw into the opposite end of the long dowel.
    Roy Berendsohn and Joseph Truini, Popular Mechanics, 28 Nov. 2020
  • To cut small parts safely, hold the longer waste side of the dowel and trim off the finished part [1].
    David Agrell, Popular Mechanics, 12 Dec. 2020
  • Cut two leg sections, each 1½ inches long, from the 2-inch dowel.
    David Agrell, Popular Mechanics, 12 Dec. 2020
  • Kneel and hold the dowel over your head, locking your elbows and pulling your shoulder blades back and down.
    Roy Berendson, Popular Mechanics, 22 May 2018
  • Install a dowel rod and a set of curtains in your favorite fabric.
    Mary Cornetta, Better Homes & Gardens, 4 Aug. 2022
  • Poke a finger or a wooden dowel or chopstick into the soil.
    Karen Brewer Grossman, Southern Living, 19 Feb. 2026
  • Along the top and bottom, create a rod pocket and push a wood dowel through the opening.
    Savanna Bous, Better Homes & Gardens, 12 Sep. 2022
  • Along the top and bottom, create a rod pocket and push a wood dowel through the opening.
    Claire Hoppe Norgaard, Better Homes & Gardens, 16 Sep. 2025
  • Use the punches to cutout small sandpaper circles and glue them to the craft sticks and dowels.
    Paul Wright, Popular Mechanics, 13 Nov. 2020
  • Leave the holes open for a few days, then plug them with caulking, wood putty, or a wooden dowel and wood glue.
    Arricca Elin Sansone, Southern Living, 7 June 2026
  • Leave the holes open for a few days, then plug them with caulking, wood putty, or a wooden dowel and wood glue.
    Arricca Elin Sansone, Southern Living, 6 Oct. 2025
  • Insert dowels into the holes to form hanging pegs for mugs, utensils, and more.
    Jessica Bennett, Better Homes & Gardens, 2 Aug. 2023
  • Drill a grid pattern of holes into a plywood board, and use dowels to hang tools or support shelf boards.
    Jessica Bennett, Better Homes & Gardens, 2 Aug. 2023

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

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