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

Mandel started hammering out the pilot with showrunner Patrick Somerville (the two currently have permission to sell the scripts should another network show interest) but spent most of her days thinking about what her next novel might be. — Seija Rankin, HollywoodReporter, 23 Sep. 2026

After the meeting, Johnson’s opponents said the mayor hasn’t meaningfully reached across City Council’s sharp divide to help hammer out a deal. — Jake Sheridan, Chicago Tribune, 23 Sep. 2026

At the meeting, Kao and Reed, the super PAC’s chair, hammered out a deal for a six-figure donation, Kao told the FBI. — William Turton, ProPublica, 22 Sep. 2026

However, both sides of the debate left the door open to hammering out a potential compromise in the coming days before either version faces a vote by the full City Council. — Todd Feurer, CBS News, 17 Sep. 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