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

Synonyms of hammer out

• forge
• develop
• carve (out)
• grind (out)
• create
• bring forth
• thrash (out)
• craft

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

So once a new CBA is hammered out, expansion talk should get moved to the forefront. —Chris Biderman, Sacbee.com, 29 May 2026

The New York City Council and Mamdani administration are beginning negotiations this week to hammer out the city's budget. —Ali Bauman, CBS News, 26 May 2026

Arsenal completed a deal for Martin Zubimendi, the broad terms of which had been hammered out almost a full year prior. —James McNicholas, New York Times, 19 May 2026

As Hochul spoke, negotiators for the five striking labor unions and the MTA, which runs the LIRR, returned to the bargaining table to try to hammer out a deal. —Corky Siemaszko, NBC news, 18 May 2026

Word History

First Known Use

circa 1632, in the meaning defined above

Rhymes for hammer out

• roundabout
• runabout
• sauerkraut
• thereabout
• turnabout
• about
• bailout
• blackout
• blowout
• breakout
• burnout
• buyout

Kids Definition

hammer out

verb

: to produce or bring about by persistent effort

hammered out an agreement