jackhammer
noun
jack·ham·mer
ˈjak-ˌha-mər 
1
: a pneumatically operated percussive rock-drilling tool usually held in the hands
2
: a device in which a tool (such as a chisel for breaking up pavements) is driven percussively by compressed air
jackhammer
verb
Examples of jackhammer in a Sentence
Recent Examples on the Web
Officers used jackhammers and heavy-duty saws to free the protesters before making seven arrests.
—
Jason Green, The Mercury News, 15 Apr. 2024
Dump trucks rumble throughout the small city, including in front of the 160-year-old City Hall, where jackhammers and excavators claw at the pavement, following plans to green the adjacent plaza with trees and benches.
—Catherine Porter, New York Times, 12 Apr. 2024
And by taking a jackhammer to that foundation, Garber threatened the integrity of the entire structure.
—Kevin Baxter, Los Angeles Times, 22 Dec. 2023
The insects are known to emit a high-pitched buzz, or mating song, that can reach up to 100 decibels — roughly equivalent to a motorcycle or jackhammer.
—Denise Chow, NBC News, 20 Jan. 2024
Enormous metal dumpsters overflowing with trash were parked near several sidewalks while a jackhammer rattled in the background.
—Blake Nelson, San Diego Union-Tribune, 17 Feb. 2024
The snout was a little smushed but amazingly intact, and its position on the beach led a team to find the rest of the skull on the nearby crumbling cliff face, which was excavated — via ropes and pneumatic jackhammers — by a former plumber and fellow fossil obsessive named Steve Etches.
—William Booth, Washington Post, 7 Feb. 2024
That’s roughly as loud as standing next to a pummeling jackhammer.
—Sam Farmer, Los Angeles Times, 11 Jan. 2024
Advertisement Christopher, a young would-be novelist, has the social graces of a jackhammer.
—Charles McNulty, Los Angeles Times, 12 Sep. 2023
Jason Green, The Mercury News, 15 Apr. 2024
Dump trucks rumble throughout the small city, including in front of the 160-year-old City Hall, where jackhammers and excavators claw at the pavement, following plans to green the adjacent plaza with trees and benches.
—Catherine Porter, New York Times, 12 Apr. 2024
And by taking a jackhammer to that foundation, Garber threatened the integrity of the entire structure.
—Kevin Baxter, Los Angeles Times, 22 Dec. 2023
The insects are known to emit a high-pitched buzz, or mating song, that can reach up to 100 decibels — roughly equivalent to a motorcycle or jackhammer.
—Denise Chow, NBC News, 20 Jan. 2024
Enormous metal dumpsters overflowing with trash were parked near several sidewalks while a jackhammer rattled in the background.
—Blake Nelson, San Diego Union-Tribune, 17 Feb. 2024
The snout was a little smushed but amazingly intact, and its position on the beach led a team to find the rest of the skull on the nearby crumbling cliff face, which was excavated — via ropes and pneumatic jackhammers — by a former plumber and fellow fossil obsessive named Steve Etches.
—William Booth, Washington Post, 7 Feb. 2024
That’s roughly as loud as standing next to a pummeling jackhammer.
—Sam Farmer, Los Angeles Times, 11 Jan. 2024
Advertisement Christopher, a young would-be novelist, has the social graces of a jackhammer.
—Charles McNulty, Los Angeles Times, 12 Sep. 2023
These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'jackhammer.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.
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Cite this Entry
“Jackhammer.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/jackhammer. Accessed 26 Apr. 2024.
Copy CitationKids Definition
jackhammer
noun
jack·ham·mer
ˈjak-ˌham-ər
: a tool driven by compressed air that is used for drilling or breaking up hard substances (as rock or pavement) by a repeated pounding action
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