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
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
Sounds that change in loudness rapidly — Rogers demonstrated this by imitating a trilling sound similar to a jackhammer — are particularly troublesome.
—Gabe Bullard, Washington Post, 2 Nov. 2023
Agents reportedly were using a cadaver dog to search the subdivision and a Courier Journal photographer saw investigators using a jackhammer on the driveway of a home.
—Rachel Smith, The Courier-Journal, 8 Sep. 2023
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
Sounds that change in loudness rapidly — Rogers demonstrated this by imitating a trilling sound similar to a jackhammer — are particularly troublesome.
—Gabe Bullard, Washington Post, 2 Nov. 2023
Agents reportedly were using a cadaver dog to search the subdivision and a Courier Journal photographer saw investigators using a jackhammer on the driveway of a home.
—Rachel Smith, The Courier-Journal, 8 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 19 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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