sledge·ham·mer
ˈslej-ˌha-mər 
: a large heavy hammer that is wielded with both hands
also
: something that resembles a sledgehammer in action
sledgehammered; sledgehammering; sledgehammers
: to strike with or as if with a sledgehammer
: to strike blows with or as if with a sledgehammer
: marked by heavy-handed directness or hard-hitting force
trusting in sledgehammer warfare—
C. J. Rolo
C. J. RoloExamples of sledgehammer in a Sentence
Recent Examples on the Web
Ben Christopher, Mercury News, 16 May 2025
In a matter of weeks, the Administration effectively took a sledgehammer to the agency, crippling its life-saving work, leaving thousands of Americans unemployed, and millions around the world who depend on American generosity struggling for survival.
—Jennifer Lotito, Forbes.com, 7 May 2025
Justin Chang, New Yorker, 4 Apr. 2025
The folks in attendance Monday at the century-old building on St. Paul’s Payne Avenue included Mayor Melvin Carter and Gov. Tim Walz, who took turns sledgehammering holes in the drywall to kick off a $10 million, top-to-bottom reinvention.
—Frederick Melo, Twin Cities, 30 Jan. 2024
Gabriel Popkin, Washington Post, 15 Aug. 2022
And Sundwall said that, in retrospect, state health officials took a sledgehammer approach to mitigating the pandemic, such as school closings in 2020, when the state could have taken a more surgical tack.
—Bethany Rodgers, The Salt Lake Tribune, 27 Sep. 2021
See All Example Sentences for sledgehammer
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.
Noun
Opponents of the bill argue that in their quest for affordability, supporters have either picked the wrong villain — or, at the very least, approached the problem with a sledgehammer when what’s needed is a scalpel.
—Ben Christopher, Mercury News, 16 May 2025
In a matter of weeks, the Administration effectively took a sledgehammer to the agency, crippling its life-saving work, leaving thousands of Americans unemployed, and millions around the world who depend on American generosity struggling for survival.
—Jennifer Lotito, Forbes.com, 7 May 2025
Verb
Under cover of darkness, a squad of SEALs enters a two-story apartment building, slips upstairs, and sledgehammers its way through a wall, awakening a family on the other side.
—Justin Chang, New Yorker, 4 Apr. 2025
The folks in attendance Monday at the century-old building on St. Paul’s Payne Avenue included Mayor Melvin Carter and Gov. Tim Walz, who took turns sledgehammering holes in the drywall to kick off a $10 million, top-to-bottom reinvention.
—Frederick Melo, Twin Cities, 30 Jan. 2024
Adjective
If coffee is a sledgehammer blow to the brain — admittedly sometimes useful — yaupon was more like a gentle neural stroking.
—Gabriel Popkin, Washington Post, 15 Aug. 2022
And Sundwall said that, in retrospect, state health officials took a sledgehammer approach to mitigating the pandemic, such as school closings in 2020, when the state could have taken a more surgical tack.
—Bethany Rodgers, The Salt Lake Tribune, 27 Sep. 2021
See All Example Sentences for sledgehammer
Cite this Entry
“Sledgehammer.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/sledgehammer. Accessed 23 May. 2025.
Copy CitationKids Definition
sledgehammer
1 of 2 noun
sledge·ham·mer
ˈslej-ˌham-ər
: a large heavy hammer usually used with both hands
sledgehammer
verb
sledgehammer
2 of 2 adjective
: marked by directness or strong force
a sledgehammer approach to the problem
Love words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
Share