Illustration of anvil
- anvil 1
1
: a heavy usually steel-faced iron block on which metal is shaped (as by hand hammering)
2
: incus
3
: the anvil–shaped top of a cumulonimbus
Examples of anvil in a Sentence
Recent Examples on the Web
The idea of a sophomore slump hangs over second-year starters like a cartoon anvil.
—
Troy Renck, Denver Post, 24 May 2025
Sherman and Hull’s book drops exposition this way, one Acme anvil after another, while still managing to leave you muddled about salient plot and character points.
—Sara Holdren, Vulture, 11 July 2024
As fun as last season was, the good vibes from it felt like an anvil around this team’s neck, not a springboard to bigger and better things.
—Jon Krawczynski, New York Times, 15 May 2025
Two categories of blade action are found: anvil and bypass.
—Andy Wilcox, Better Homes & Gardens, 4 Jan. 2025
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Troy Renck, Denver Post, 24 May 2025
Sherman and Hull’s book drops exposition this way, one Acme anvil after another, while still managing to leave you muddled about salient plot and character points.
—Sara Holdren, Vulture, 11 July 2024
As fun as last season was, the good vibes from it felt like an anvil around this team’s neck, not a springboard to bigger and better things.
—Jon Krawczynski, New York Times, 15 May 2025
Two categories of blade action are found: anvil and bypass.
—Andy Wilcox, Better Homes & Gardens, 4 Jan. 2025
See All Example Sentences for anvil
Cite this Entry
“Anvil.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/anvil. Accessed 4 Jun. 2025.
Copy CitationKids Definition
anvil
noun
an·vil
ˈan-vəl 
1
: a heavy iron block on which metal is shaped (as by hammering)
2
: the middle bone of the chain of three small bones in the ear of a mammal
called also incus
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