as in to struggle
to devote serious and sustained effort
the design team has been banging away at that project for months
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Recent Examples of bang away
Blow-dry bangs away from the face with a round brush or Velcro rollers for effortless-looking volume.
—
Ariel Wodarcyk, InStyle, 7 Apr. 2026
Brian Cashman gets it all the time, but good, from Yankee fans; for them, banging away at Cashman on social media feels like the real national pastime.
—Mike Lupica, New York Daily News, 16 Aug. 2025
Former staff leaked internal spats and embarrassing editorial ideas by the new leadership and pointed out that many top leaders were banging away at stories that were likely below their pay grade.
—Max Tani, semafor.com, 9 June 2025
One of the roadies came out to bang away on the piano, the notes more felt than heard, part of the noise.
—Rob Sheffield, Rolling Stone, 29 Sep. 2024
As several drummers banged away, Vázquez danced near a table and teammates clapped along to the music, including a spirited effort from Royce Lewis.
—Dan Hayes, The Athletic, 16 Aug. 2024
Norton remembers banging away on his dad’s Smith Corona typewriter in the den.
—Cynthia Billhartz Gregorian, Kansas City Star, 31 Jan. 2024
The manager demonstrated how to use the rock hammers, and then people got to banging away, trying to find opals in the rock.
—Marla Jo Fisher, Orange County Register, 31 Jan. 2024
There’s John in his apartment in New York City, banging away at his piano, doing a little demo.
—Lars Brandle, Billboard, 2 Nov. 2023
Ariel Wodarcyk, InStyle, 7 Apr. 2026
Brian Cashman gets it all the time, but good, from Yankee fans; for them, banging away at Cashman on social media feels like the real national pastime.
—Mike Lupica, New York Daily News, 16 Aug. 2025
Former staff leaked internal spats and embarrassing editorial ideas by the new leadership and pointed out that many top leaders were banging away at stories that were likely below their pay grade.
—Max Tani, semafor.com, 9 June 2025
One of the roadies came out to bang away on the piano, the notes more felt than heard, part of the noise.
—Rob Sheffield, Rolling Stone, 29 Sep. 2024
As several drummers banged away, Vázquez danced near a table and teammates clapped along to the music, including a spirited effort from Royce Lewis.
—Dan Hayes, The Athletic, 16 Aug. 2024
Norton remembers banging away on his dad’s Smith Corona typewriter in the den.
—Cynthia Billhartz Gregorian, Kansas City Star, 31 Jan. 2024
The manager demonstrated how to use the rock hammers, and then people got to banging away, trying to find opals in the rock.
—Marla Jo Fisher, Orange County Register, 31 Jan. 2024
There’s John in his apartment in New York City, banging away at his piano, doing a little demo.
—Lars Brandle, Billboard, 2 Nov. 2023
Recent Examples of Synonyms for bang away
Verb
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The Niners have struggled with consistency from their wide receivers, largely due to injuries.—
Ryan Morik,
FOXNews.com,
21 Apr. 2026
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The plant, which was the state’s largest maker of panelized components, struggled under the weight of reduced demand because of higher interest rates and fluctuating lumber costs.—
Aldo Svaldi,
Denver Post,
21 Apr. 2026
Verb
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Like the women who labor here, the mundu chile is sturdy, tough and resilient.—
Kamala Thiagarajan,
NPR,
19 Apr. 2026
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In many years on dairy farms, the worker often labored for 10 hours with no breaks.—
Melissa Gomez,
Los Angeles Times,
17 Apr. 2026
Verb
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Seasoned party-planners say that striving to create meaningful interactions instead of for perfection alleviates some of the stress of hosting.—
ABC News,
ABC News,
19 Apr. 2026
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The rest of the year, Mitchell strived to be part of the crowd.—
Angela Andaloro,
PEOPLE,
17 Apr. 2026
Verb
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These Warby Parker Franny Eyeglasses are lightweight and comfortable enough for extended wear, with a classic shape that works for both travel days and everyday use.—
Samantha Leal,
Travel + Leisure,
18 Apr. 2026
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The couple immigrated from Thailand long ago and worked hard to save that money over three decades.—
Nicole Comstock,
CBS News,
18 Apr. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Bang away.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/bang%20away. Accessed 24 Apr. 2026.
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