: a small straight thin-bladed knife used especially in surgery
Examples of scalpel in a Sentence
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But while a thunderous jackhammer of a policy disruption may be appealing, sometimes a mere scalpel will suffice.
—
Newsweek Staff, MSNBC Newsweek, 4 Apr. 2025
Just as a surgeon uses a scalpel to cut out a tumor, a similar approach is needed for federal, state and local governments.
—Willie Wilson, Chicago Tribune, 27 Mar. 2025
Now that the opposition has had a chance to galvanize, Trump is making Musk somewhat accountable to the cabinet secretaries and is talking about using a scalpel to make more systematic cuts.
—Nolan Finley, Mercury News, 26 Mar. 2025
Mosley is fearless and as incisive as a scalpel in his examination of evil — personal, spiritual, and institutional — and surprisingly hopeful about the possibility of overcoming it.
—Sara Gran, New York Times, 24 Mar. 2025
See All Example Sentences for scalpel
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Newsweek Staff, MSNBC Newsweek, 4 Apr. 2025
Just as a surgeon uses a scalpel to cut out a tumor, a similar approach is needed for federal, state and local governments.
—Willie Wilson, Chicago Tribune, 27 Mar. 2025
Now that the opposition has had a chance to galvanize, Trump is making Musk somewhat accountable to the cabinet secretaries and is talking about using a scalpel to make more systematic cuts.
—Nolan Finley, Mercury News, 26 Mar. 2025
Mosley is fearless and as incisive as a scalpel in his examination of evil — personal, spiritual, and institutional — and surprisingly hopeful about the possibility of overcoming it.
—Sara Gran, New York Times, 24 Mar. 2025
See All Example Sentences for scalpel
Cite this Entry
“Scalpel.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/scalpel. Accessed 20 Apr. 2025.
Copy CitationKids Definition
scalpel
noun
scal·pel
ˈskal-pəl 
also skal-ˈpel
: a small straight thin-bladed knife used especially in surgery
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