as in chip
a V-shaped cut usually on an edge or a surface with a handsaw I made a kerf in the board to mark where I needed to cut

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Example Sentences

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.
Recent Examples of kerf Make the first pass on all four posts, adjust the saw’s fence, and then make additional passes until the kerfs are formed. Paul Steiner, Popular Mechanics, 24 Mar. 2023 Next, cut kerfs for the splines in the corner posts and side pieces. Paul Steiner, Popular Mechanics, 24 Mar. 2023 Mark the kerf on the end grain of a post. Paul Steiner, Popular Mechanics, 24 Mar. 2023 This reduces bowing and creates a thinner kerf, making pull saws ideal for joints and other fine woodwork. Pierre Tardif, WSJ, 3 June 2021 Begin by ripping and crosscutting the shelves, the sides, the bottom and the top panel from red-oak plywood with a 40-tooth thin-kerf blade in a circular saw. Joseph Truini, Popular Mechanics, 26 Sep. 2020 The thin-kerf chain (its teeth are 3/32-inch wide) zips through each cut with smoothness and precision. Roy Berendson, Popular Mechanics, 18 Mar. 2020
Recent Examples of Synonyms for kerf
Noun
  • For example, the White House warned US companies against using AI chips made by China’s national tech champion Huawei.
    Samantha Waldenberg, CNN Money, 6 June 2025
  • Last year, PepsiCo began adding more chips to bags following complaints about shrinkflation.
    Andrea Margolis, FOXNews.com, 6 June 2025
Noun
  • Later that evening, Henson appeared in a sculptural brown gown with a dramatic shoulder detail and high slit.
    Maggie Clancy, Footwear News, 4 June 2025
  • Sheryl Lee Ralph Sheryl Lee Ralph attended the 2025 Gotham Television Awards in N.Y.C. in a black gown with a square neckline and thigh-high slit.
    Catherine Santino, People.com, 3 June 2025
Noun
  • But Gauff found her groove and won 12 straight points to tighten it up.
    Adam Zagoria, Forbes.com, 7 June 2025
  • Talk to me about navigating that, the sort of settling into a groove there.
    Mark Olsen, Los Angeles Times, 5 June 2025
Noun
  • The core materials were then mixed with oats and water and pressed into molds with bubble-like indents and rough line patterns.
    New Atlas, New Atlas, 4 Apr. 2025
  • The Honda sustained damage to its front passenger side, and the Outback had an indent to its front driver-side bumper.
    Justin Muszynski, Hartford Courant, 27 Mar. 2025

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Cite this Entry

“Kerf.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/kerf. Accessed 17 Jun. 2025.

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