T-bone
Americannoun
verb (used with object)
Other Word Forms
Noun Inflected Forms
Etymology
Origin of T-bone
From the shape of the letter T + bone ( def. ); T-bone def. 1 was first recorded in 1930–35; T-bone def. 2 in 1965–70.
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Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
See Examples For:
“There was a complete T-bone and then those two cars hit me and then swerved off to the side.”
From Los Angeles Times ● Dec. 18, 2024
A family ordered T-bone steaks and double pudding portions then left without paying their £329 restaurant bill, it has been claimed.
From BBC ● Apr. 22, 2024
He ate a last meal of T-bone steak, hash browns, toast and eggs slathered in A1 steak sauce, Hood said by telephone before the execution was carried out.
From Seattle Times ● Jan. 25, 2024
Not counting his long hiatus during the pandemic, Arcie Walker has been cooking rib-eye and T-bone steaks at the Hoffbrau steakhouse in Austin for 40-some years.
From Washington Post ● Aug. 1, 2022
“That’s the difference between humans and animals, see. The humans are at the top, and the animals—well, they’re just walking T-bone steaks and drumsticks.”
From "The House of the Scorpion" by Nancy Farmer
Cignetti’s gotten a lot of attention for his bravado and his menacing sideline presence, in which he paces and stares like a customer who thinks the butcher’s hiding the best T-bones.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jan. 20, 2026
“He went over my hedges, across my front lawn, and then T-bones the Tesla,” Kelleher said.
From Los Angeles Times ● Apr. 14, 2024
She spent 25 years at the Legion Club serving T-bones to Bob Devaney and a host of Lincoln’s veterans and businessmen.
From Washington Times ● Jan. 18, 2020
From there, they’ll likely end up as T-bones and briskets in stores and restaurants across America and Canada.
From The Guardian ● Jun. 19, 2017
He drifted through every few months in search of T-bones and guavas.
From "The Ear, the Eye, and the Arm" by Nancy Farmer
Cervantes’ dealings with Sacramento law enforcement began after her SUV was T-boned by another vehicle.
From Los Angeles Times ● May 30, 2025
The BMW T-boned the Kia in the intersection about 11:15 a.m., according to the State Patrol.
From Seattle Times ● Jul. 17, 2023
The 11th Hour Racing Team left The Hague, Netherlands, on Sunday, less than 72 hours after it was T-boned by another boat just 17 minutes into the start of the final leg.
From Washington Times ● Jun. 19, 2023
Alonso, who said another driver ran a red light and T-boned his truck, had to kick open his windshield to escape.
From New York Times ● Mar. 14, 2022
They were T-boned in the middle of the intersection by a driver for Med-Service Hospital Supplies.
From "Counting by 7s" by Holly Goldberg Sloan
Earnhart’s grille was crushed after T-boning Clint Bowyer in the melee.
From Washington Post ● Sep. 12, 2011
When possible, you should approach the dock at a somewhat-acute angle rather than one that will result in T-boning the tiki bar if the engine abruptly quits.
From Time Magazine Archive
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
