battering ram

noun

1

: a military siege engine consisting of a large wooden beam with a head of iron used in ancient times to beat down the walls of a besieged place

2

: a heavy metal bar with handles used (as by firefighters) to batter down doors and walls

Examples of battering ram in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

Ingerson told the Sun Sentinel officers repeatedly called a Hispanic name on a bullhorn for more than an hour and banged on the door of a home with a battering ram while a crowd congregated around the scene. —Shira Moolten, Sun Sentinel, 6 Feb. 2026

As if anyone can cooperate with a battering ram shattering their front door. —Dobby Gibson, Literary Hub, 26 Jan. 2026

Seattle inexplicably decided to throw instead of handing off to battering ram Marshawn Lynch, who was all but automatic in short-yardage situations. —Los Angeles Times, 19 Jan. 2026

The attackers swayed back and forth, their bodies working as battering rams. —Jamie Thompson, The Atlantic, 6 Jan. 2026

Word History

First Known Use

1593, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Rhymes for battering ram

• clonazepam
• diazepam
• ideogram
• malayalam
• oscillogram
• roentgenogram
• abraham
• anagram
• cablegram
• cofferdam
• dendrogram
• diagram

Kids Definition

battering ram

noun

1

: an ancient military machine consisting of a large iron-tipped wooden beam used to beat down walls

2

: a heavy metal bar with handles used (as by firefighters) to batter down doors and walls