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
The question is how to get there from here, particularly as the butcher’s cleaver is ascendant over the diplomat.
—
Nic Robertson, CNN, 7 Oct. 2024
One is a terrifying menace with a cleaver, the other is...an actor diagnosed with schizoaffective disorder who gets way too method and starts killing people, only to eventually get killed by the real Butcher ghost, with a cleaver.
—Lauren Huff, EW.com, 4 Sep. 2024
On Thursday, a man wielding a meat cleaver stabbed two men inside a Bronx laundromat, sending both victims to Lincoln Hospital, where one died, police said.
—Colin Mixson, New York Daily News, 8 Aug. 2024
The pair fend off the masses – driving through walls, avoiding meat cleavers and fighting Louis Lewis.
—Selena Kuznikov, Variety, 2 July 2024
See all Example Sentences for cleaver 
Nic Robertson, CNN, 7 Oct. 2024
One is a terrifying menace with a cleaver, the other is...an actor diagnosed with schizoaffective disorder who gets way too method and starts killing people, only to eventually get killed by the real Butcher ghost, with a cleaver.
—Lauren Huff, EW.com, 4 Sep. 2024
On Thursday, a man wielding a meat cleaver stabbed two men inside a Bronx laundromat, sending both victims to Lincoln Hospital, where one died, police said.
—Colin Mixson, New York Daily News, 8 Aug. 2024
The pair fend off the masses – driving through walls, avoiding meat cleavers and fighting Louis Lewis.
—Selena Kuznikov, Variety, 2 July 2024
See all Example Sentences for cleaver
These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'cleaver.' 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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Cite this Entry
“Cleaver.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/cleaver. Accessed 4 Nov. 2024.
Copy CitationKids Definition
cleaver
noun
cleav·er
ˈklē-vər 
: a heavy knife with a wide blade
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