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.
Instead, the lengthy review period affords the agency and Navy SEAL Museum San Diego time to hammer out lease terms that will require a future board vote. Jennifer Van Grove, San Diego Union-Tribune, 22 Apr. 2026 The House Ways and Means Committee — the final stop before a floor vote — discussed the proposal Monday, but did not advance it as the bill authors continue to hammer out some of the sticking points, which include whether or not there should be a law enforcement division within the agency. Caroline Cummings, CBS News, 20 Apr. 2026 However, if the NFL and NFLRA can hammer out a new deal, the replacement officials will not be needed, and the command center will not provide such assistance to the veteran officiating crews. Mike Jones, New York Times, 10 Apr. 2026 The third and best outcome would be if the two parties are able to use these two weeks, plus some extensions, to hammer out the key points of a peace deal. Donald Heflin, The Conversation, 10 Apr. 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

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Cite this Entry

“Hammer out.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/hammer%20out. Accessed 28 Apr. 2026.

Kids Definition

hammer out

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

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