jaw 1 of 2

noun

ˈjȯ How to pronounce jaw (audio)
Definition of jawnext
as in chat
friendly, informal conversation or an instance of this now that he's retired, he's got all afternoon for a jaw with his friends at the senior center

Synonyms & Similar Words

Relevance

jaw

2 of 2

verb

1
as in to scold
to criticize (someone) severely or angrily especially for personal failings you don't have to jaw me to death just because I bite my nails

Synonyms & Similar Words

Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in to chat
to engage in casual or rambling conversation just a group of girls sitting around the locker room and jawing about the usual stuff

Synonyms & Similar Words

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 jaw
Noun
To sweeten the deal, Best Buy has it for a jaw-dropping 48% off, saving you $620 for a limited time. — Kelsey Fogarty, PC Magazine, 28 Aug. 2026 Corbin fractured his jaw in two places, busted his upper arm, and lacerated his lip. — Carol Marbin Miller, Miami Herald, 27 Aug. 2026
Verb
In a rare show of emotion, the 6-2 Knicks star got up off the ground and jawed at Victor Wembanyama, clearly irate with the San Antonio Spurs’ 7-4 center. — Peter Sblendorio, New York Daily News, 10 June 2026 After the game that featured five technical fouls and thee ejections, players from both teams jawed back and forth near midcourt. — Los Angeles Times, 28 Apr. 2026 See All Example Sentences for jaw
Recent Examples of Synonyms for jaw
  1. chat
  2. scold
  3. talk
  4. chatter
  5. lecture
  6. converse
  7. table talk
  8. reprimand
Noun
  • But then Sandy stops by for a friendly chat, and his daughter Nina (Zosia Mamet, ice-cold and slightly underused) gets serious.
    — Ben Rosenstock, Vulture, 2 Sep. 2026
  • If a group chat has become a swamp of half-answers and reaction icons, step in with a quick summary.
    — Tarot.com, Baltimore Sun, 2 Sep. 2026
Definition of chat
Verb
  • Historically, the United States has sent mixed messages to Europeans, encouraging them to step up but then scolding them for seeking autonomy.
    — JENNIFER KAVANAGH, Foreign Affairs, 28 Aug. 2026
  • In fact, during testing, the handheld triggered nostalgic memories of playing Final Fantasy Legend and Mario Land 2 on long car rides to my grandparents' house, but without the eye strain and being scolded for playing in the dark as the sun set.
    — Will Greenwald, PC Magazine, 22 Aug. 2026
Definition of scold
Verb
  • For those who take pride in their pouty lips (or their ability to talk their way out of just about anything), a swipe of lipstick and nothing else is a cool way to look put together without the hustle of actually putting yourself together.
    — Loren Savini, Allure, 4 Sep. 2026
  • Despite 40-plus years of dazzling red-carpet moments—and two decades since becoming the first Arab designer on the official Paris haute couture calendar—in real life Elie Saab is still more comfortable letting his runway do the talking for him.
    — Tina Isaac-Goizé, Vogue, 3 Sep. 2026
Definition of talk
Noun
  • Tech Challenges While the chair’s speech and the sideline chatter about economic and political events frequently dominate news from the symposium, Jackson Hole is also an important forum for high level debate on economic research.
    — Maria Eloisa Capurro, Fortune, 29 Aug. 2026
  • In a sprightly performance rife with oddball mannerisms, Gnecco gives Borges equal parts impish wisdom, earthy vulgarity and childlike wonder, rarely letting a moment’s silence go unfilled with eager chatter.
    — Guy Lodge, Variety, 29 Aug. 2026
Definition of chatter
Verb
  • Luann patiently attempts to explain that the women don’t like being lectured to about their business affairs, only for Vicki to abruptly answer a phone call mid-conversation.
    — Shamira Ibrahim, Vulture, 24 Aug. 2026
  • Robert Pozen, who lectures at MIT Sloan School of Management and was formerly president of Fidelity Investments, has an answer to the obvious question about who inspects this.
    — Dara-Abasi Ita, Forbes.com, 22 Aug. 2026
Definition of lecture
Verb
  • However, your customers should never feel like their only choice is to converse with a bot.
    — John Hall, Forbes.com, 30 Aug. 2026
  • Researchers have built ArabCulture-Dialogue, the first benchmark for testing whether leading AI models can understand and converse in Modern Standard Arabic and 13 national dialects.
    — Melissa Hancock, Fortune, 19 Aug. 2026
Definition of converse
Noun
  • When the table talk turns political, Hagains suggests shifting your approach instead of your mood.
    — Tiffani Jackson, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 21 Nov. 2025
  • Each monthly box includes three recipe guides, skill lessons, a kitchen tool, a kitchen project, an apron patch, table talk cards, and a grocery list.
    — Jessica Booth, Parents, 16 Dec. 2024
Definition of table talk
Verb
  • Being a fly on the wall is precisely what Hard Knocks makes viewers feel like in the moment when Head Coach Mike Macdonald reprimands linebacker Derick Hall for getting too close to a quarterback.
    — Armando Tinoco, Deadline, 1 Sep. 2026
  • Judge William Sullivan declined to declare a mistrial but sharply reprimanded the prosecution and told the jury to disregard Heilbrun’s statements on Clancy’s faith.
    — Melina Khan, USA Today, 25 Aug. 2026
Definition of reprimand

Browse Nearby Words

javelins
jaw
jaw-dropper
See all Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Jaw.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/jaw. Accessed 5 Sep. 2026.

Copy Citation

More from Merriam-Webster on jaw

Britannica.com: Encyclopedia article about jaw

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!

Popular in Grammar & Usage

See More

A Who’s Who Regarding ‘Who’s’ and ‘Whose’

A List of Most Commonly Confused Words

Why do we use apostrophes to show possession?

Is it 'nerve-racking' or 'nerve-wracking'?

What's the difference between 'fascism' and 'socialism'?
See More

Popular in Wordplay

See More

The Longest Long Words List

Stay Woke

Ye Olde Nincompoop: Old-Fashioned Words for 'Stupid'

14 Phobias You Probably Haven't Heard Of

The Words of the Week - Sept. 4
See More

Popular

See More

A Who’s Who Regarding ‘Who’s’ and ‘Whose’

The Longest Long Words List

Stay Woke
See More

Games & Quizzes

See All
Play Quordle: Guess all four words in a limited number of tries. Each of your guesses must be a real 5-letter word.
Quordle Can you solve 4 words at once?
Play Blossom: Solve today's spelling word game by finding as many words as you can using just 7 letters. Longer words score more points.
Blossom Pick the best words!
Play Missing Letter: a crossword with a twist. Each of the 25 puzzle words start with a different letter of the alphabet. Which letter is missing?
The Missing Letter A daily crossword with a twist
anagrams on a chalk board
Word Builder Quiz Vol. 2 Pick the letter that when added to a word will ma...
See All