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center punch
noun
: a hand punch consisting of a short steel bar with a hardened conical point at one end used for marking the centers of holes to be drilled
Examples of center punch in a Sentence
Recent Examples on the Web
My first solution was get a thin piece of brass and make a dent in it with a center punch.
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IEEE Spectrum, 27 Aug. 2023
Start each hole with a center punch, and bore the 1-inch intake holes with a step bit [8].
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Joe Kohl-Riggs, Popular Mechanics, 27 July 2023
Use a center punch and a hammer to mark the location of the hole and to give the drill bit a place to start without wandering.
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Bradley Ford, Popular Mechanics, 30 Sep. 2021
The Penguins’ 1-2 center punch, until the big dogs return, might be Jake Guentzel and Jeff Carter.
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BostonGlobe.com, 11 Sep. 2021
Prevent the drill bit from wandering by first marking the center of each part with a center punch.
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David Agrell, Popular Mechanics, 12 Dec. 2020
Oryx center punched with a triad of .300 Winchester Magnum loads loped into the sands of the Kalahari, never to be seen again.
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Ron Spomer, Outdoor Life, 13 Jan. 2020
Buy a center punch and strike it with a ball-peen hammer.
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Roy Berendsohn, Popular Mechanics, 5 Feb. 2014
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Word History
First Known Use
1825, in the meaning defined above
Dictionary Entries Near center punch
Cite this Entry
“Center punch.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/center%20punch. Accessed 7 Feb. 2025.
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