hammer out

verb

hammered out; hammering out; hammers out
Synonyms of hammer outnext

transitive verb

: to produce or bring about as if by repeated blows
hammered out an agreement

Examples of hammer out in a Sentence

the city council hammered out new commercial development regulations with input from residents, business owners, and environmental activists
Recent Examples on the Web
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
With mostly Republican states joining the program, details still need to be hammered out by the IRS about how exactly the dollar-for-dollar tax credit will operate. Lexi Lonas Cochran, The Hill, 30 Jan. 2026 But the single biggest obstacle to a deal — how long the DHS funding patch should last — was hammered out by late afternoon between Democrats and the White House. David Sivak, The Washington Examiner, 29 Jan. 2026 Ramírez visited Cleveland last week to hammer out the new contract, in the throes of winter, and wasn’t deterred from committing to the city. Zack Meisel, New York Times, 27 Jan. 2026 The statement said that Patagonia and Pattie Gonia—who uses female pronouns—spent several years hammering out an agreement over the activist’s use of the brand’s name. Frederick Dreier, Outside, 23 Jan. 2026 See All Example Sentences for hammer out

Word History

First Known Use

circa 1632, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of hammer out was circa 1632

Browse Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Hammer out.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/hammer%20out. Accessed 1 Feb. 2026.

Kids Definition

hammer out

verb
: to produce or bring about by persistent effort
hammered out an agreement

More from Merriam-Webster on hammer out

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
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