hammer
verb
hammered; hammering
ˈha-mər-iŋ 
ˈham-riŋ
1
: to strike blows especially repeatedly with or as if with a hammer : pound
2
: to make repeated efforts
especially
: to reiterate an opinion or attitude
the lectures all hammered away at the same points
1
a
: to beat, drive, or shape with repeated blows of a hammer
b
: to fasten or build with a hammer
2
: to strike or drive with a force suggesting a hammer blow or repeated blows
hammered the ball over the fence
tried to hammer me into submission
3
: to criticize severely
Examples of hammer in a Sentence
He hammered the dent out of the fender.
The carpenters were hammering all afternoon.
The workers are hammering the studs to the frame.
The batter hammered the ball over the fence.
Someone tried to hammer him over the head with a club.
Many towns were hammered by the hurricane.
The typist's fingers were hammering the keys.
He was hammering at the door.
The rain hammered down on the roof.
The home team was hammered 9–0.
Recent Examples on the Web
Zach Neto also hammered a seventh-inning, three-run home run.
—
Liana Handler, Los Angeles Times, 7 June 2026
Leo will find a legislature that is highly polarized, with the government Socialist Party of Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez hammered by a series of corruption scandals and conservative groups such as Vox harshly criticizing the Socialists’ migration policy.
—ABC News, 6 June 2026
Crow-Armstrong hit first solo shot in the sixth, hammering Roupp's high sinker deep to right to tie it at 1-1.
—CBS News, 6 June 2026
Each side has their shooting specialists; Paraguay’s Enciso scored the Premier League’s goal of the season in 2022-23, striking twice more from 30 yards in English football, while Diego Gomez can also hammer the ball with his right foot, neither afraid to let fly.
—Thom Harris, New York Times, 5 June 2026
See All Example Sentences for hammer
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Liana Handler, Los Angeles Times, 7 June 2026
Leo will find a legislature that is highly polarized, with the government Socialist Party of Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez hammered by a series of corruption scandals and conservative groups such as Vox harshly criticizing the Socialists’ migration policy.
—ABC News, 6 June 2026
Crow-Armstrong hit first solo shot in the sixth, hammering Roupp's high sinker deep to right to tie it at 1-1.
—CBS News, 6 June 2026
Each side has their shooting specialists; Paraguay’s Enciso scored the Premier League’s goal of the season in 2022-23, striking twice more from 30 yards in English football, while Diego Gomez can also hammer the ball with his right foot, neither afraid to let fly.
—Thom Harris, New York Times, 5 June 2026
See All Example Sentences for hammer
Cite this Entry
“Hammer.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/hammer. Accessed 11 Jun. 2026.
Copy CitationKids Definition
hammer
1 of 2 noun
ham·mer
ˈham-ər
1
a
: a hand tool that consists of a solid head set crosswise on a handle and is used for pounding (as in driving nails)
b
: a power tool for pounding
2
: something that resembles a hammer in shape or action (as the part of a gun whose striking action causes explosion of the charge)
3
: malleus
4
: a heavy metal ball with a flexible handle that is thrown for distance in a track-and-field contest
hammer
2 of 2 verb
hammered; hammering
ˈham-(ə-)riŋ
1
: to strike blows with or as if with a hammer : pound
2
a
: to make repeated efforts
hammer away at one's lessons
b
: to emphasize (as an opinion) by repetition
hammers his point home
3
: to fasten, build, drive, or shape with a hammer
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