hammer

noun

ham·mer | \ ˈha-mər

Definition of hammer

(Entry 1 of 2)

1a : a hand tool consisting of a solid head set crosswise on a handle and used for pounding

b : a power tool that often substitutes a metal block or a drill for the hammerhead

2 : something that resembles a hammer in form or action: such as

a : a lever with a striking head for ringing a bell or striking a gong

b(1) : an arm that strikes the cap in a percussion lock to ignite the propelling charge

(2) : a part of the action of a modern gun that strikes the primer of the cartridge in firing or that strikes the firing pin to ignite the cartridge

c : malleus

d : gavel

e(1) : a padded mallet in a piano action for striking a string

(2) : a hand mallet for playing on various percussion instruments (such as a xylophone)

3 : a metal sphere thrown for distance in the hammer throw

4 : accelerator sense b

under the hammer

: for sale at auction

hammer

verb

hammered; hammering\ ˈha-mər-iŋ

, ˈham-riŋ \

Definition of hammer (Entry 2 of 2)

intransitive verb

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

transitive verb

1a : 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

Other Words from hammer Synonyms More Example Sentences Learn More about hammer

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Synonyms for hammer

Synonyms: Verb

beat, draw, forge, pound

Examples of hammer in a Sentence

Verb

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: Noun

Her mother brought her back, smashed her laptop with a hammer and threatened to do the same to her fingers, according to Gypsy. — Alexis Jones, Marie Claire, "How Gypsy Rose Blanchard's Age Remained a Mystery Her Whole Life," 22 Mar. 2019 Prosecutors said in a charging document the fishing vessel, the Captain Billy Haver, was sailing some 55 miles off Nantucket with seven crew members aboard when Vazquez assaulted one crew member with a hammer in one hand and a knife in the other. — Paulina Dedaj, Fox News, "Man arrested in Virginia, accused of multiple murders, is DACA recipient, source says," 28 Sep. 2018 The value that blacksmiths bring to a project is not the worth of the metal itself, but rather what it's transformed into by the craftsman's hammer. — Brett Martin, Popular Mechanics, "What It's Like to Be a Modern-Day Blacksmith," 15 Nov. 2017 That’s when the Commerce Department brought the hammer down, banning American firms from selling electronic parts to the smartphone maker. — Adam K. Raymond, Daily Intelligencer, "U.S. Cuts Deal With Sanctioned Chinese Tech Company ZTE," 7 June 2018 Thicken: Crack open a coconut with a hammer, strain out water, cut flesh into chunks, blend to a pulp, strain and cook to a custard, 2 hours. — Leah Eskin, charlotteobserver, "Secret to faster Jamaican fish stew: Canned coconut milk | Charlotte Observer," 17 Apr. 2018 And the maple hammer, this menu’s dark-bitter-spiritous entry, is rich in flavor, with the deep notes of maple and walnut trailing the finish. — Esther Mobley, San Francisco Chronicle, "White Cap brings great cocktails and surfer vibe to the Outer Sunset," 9 Jan. 2018 By contrast, this latest bit of research hammers the gas, forcing it, like a sulky teenager, to tidy away its qubits. — Chris Lee, Ars Technica, "Rough-and-ready quantum memory may link disparate quantum systems," 9 Nov. 2018 Meanwhile, her beau Travis Scott donned a serious Iron Man outfit, and their daughter, Stormi Webster, transformed into Thor, complete with a mini hammer. — Amy Mackelden, Harper's BAZAAR, "Kylie Jenner Just Took Out a Gigantic Billboard for Travis Scott's Birthday," 27 Apr. 2019

Recent Examples on the Web: Verb

In fact, they should be hammered less in order to make California a more inviting place to invest and create jobs. — George Skelton, The Mercury News, "Skelton: How California can become a tuition-free college state," 11 June 2019 The Braves hammered Urena for the second time this season at Marlins Park. — Wells Dusenbury, sun-sentinel.com, "Braves shell Urena, Marlins’ bats shut down by Soroka in blowout," 8 June 2019 My heart was hammering from fear and my brain was alert with rage. — Michael Lindsay-hogg, Town & Country, "Brando in a Blue Blazer," 22 Aug. 2013 Metals: Mixed metals are still popular, as are hammered metals. — Diane Cowen, Houston Chronicle, "Arteriors new collection remains current, edgy," 13 June 2018 Remember — Congress’ failure to raise the debt limit early enough in 2011 prompted Standard & Poor’s to lower the nation’s credit rating, hammering stocks and consumer and business confidence. — Paul Davidson, USA TODAY, "The economy is humming. So why do experts foresee a recession in 2020?," 11 June 2018 So the governor's patting himself on the back for a budget while hammering Democrats for the tax hike that enabled him to pat himself on the back for the budget. — Ben Joravsky, Chicago Reader, "Politics With friends like Republican Jeanne Ives, Illinois women don’t need enemies," 5 June 2018 Hundreds of snowplows and other vehicles were deployed to clear roadways in Boston and surrounding areas as the blizzard hammered the region, covering streets in heavy snow. — Laney Ruckstuhl, BostonGlobe.com, "Snowplows answer the call to duty in blizzard," 13 Mar. 2018 The market had held up for much of the week as stock markets were hammered. — Bloomberg, Fortune, "The U.S. Junk-Bond Market Just Had Its Worst Week in 2 Years," 10 Feb. 2018

These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'hammer.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.