buzz saw
noun
plural buzz saws
1
: a power saw with a circular cutting blade : circular saw
2
: someone or something that presents overwhelming opposition
The Buckeyes have been a buzz saw …, winning by an average of 47.7 points in a 4-0 start.—Tom Dienhart
—usually used in the phrase run/walk into a buzz saw… the organizers ran into a buzz saw of complaints about many of its proposed venues, which had not been vetted with some of the landlords or the public.—Katharine Q. Seelye
They ran into a buzz saw Saturday night against … Kentucky, a loss that likely means a new No. 1 on Monday.—John Marshall
Never before has a president asked a Supreme Court nominee to walk into a political buzz saw quite like this.—Susan Davis
Cite this Entry
“Buzz saw.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/buzz%20saw. Accessed 7 Jul. 2026.
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