Both species bore a passing or superficial resemblance to a very small, dog-sized
saber-toothed cat.
Machaeroides could be distinguished from actual saber-toothed cats by their more-elongated skulls, and their
plantigrade stance.
Machaeroides species are distinguished from the closely related
Apataelurus by the fact that the former genus had smaller saber-teeth. Despite its small size, the genus
Machairoides was well-equipped to hunt prey larger than itself, such as the small, primitive horses and rhinoceroses present at the time, as it was equipped with saber teeth and powerful forelimbs to subdue prey.
M. eothen weighed an estimated , thus matching in size a small
Staffordshire Terrier.
M. simpsoni was probably smaller. ==Taxonomic placement==