hammer out

verb

hammered out; hammering out; hammers out

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.
There were three big winners Thursday night as Chicago’s school board met to hammer out a fiscal 2026 budget. The Editorial Board, Chicago Tribune, 29 Aug. 2025 For a moment, there was optimism that a security guarantee could be hammered out. Alexander Gabuev, Foreign Affairs, 26 Aug. 2025 After a weeklong pause as sponsors hammered out a compromise on legislation to establish sales tax and regulations for vapor products sold in Tennessee, the bill is moving again ― and could see final votes this week. Vivian Jones, The Tennessean, 21 Aug. 2025 Following weeks of escalating tensions, Beijing and Washington agreed in May to suspend the hefty duties and loosen several punitive measures imposed in April, as both sides continued to work on hammering out a durable deal. Anniek Bao, CNBC, 21 Aug. 2025 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 5 Sep. 2025.

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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