1
as in to draw
to shape with a hammer
medieval artisans hammered brass into various bowls and trays, which they then embossed with elaborate designs
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2
as in to hit
to deliver a blow to (someone or something) usually in a strong vigorous manner
hammer a nail hammered the ball for a home run
Synonyms & Similar Words
3
as in to pound
to strike repeatedly
tried hammering the door to wake them up the crops were hammered with hail
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4
as in to scold
to criticize (someone) severely or angrily especially for personal failings
the critics have long been hammering the stage actress for resorting to the same mixed bag of mannerisms over and over
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
as in sledgehammer
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Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of hammer
Chris Spargo, People.com, 23 June 2025
Loose Screws, Nails, and Other Fasteners Fasteners are a common problem, even more so than spare hammers and screwdrivers.
—Timothy Dale, Better Homes & Gardens, 22 June 2025
Richard Winton, Los Angeles Times, 26 June 2025
The strike, which happened as Soleimani traveled to Baghdad, prompted a swift response from Iran, which days later hammered Al-Asad Air Base in Iraq and another U.S. base in Erbil with 13 ballistic missiles.
—Ellen Mitchell, The Hill, 21 June 2025
See All Example Sentences for hammer
Verb
Officers with the Louisville Metro Police Department responded to a residence on Wilson Avenue on June 19 after receiving a report of a girl being attacked with a hammer, according to an arrest slip obtained by PEOPLE.
—Chris Spargo, People.com, 23 June 2025
Loose Screws, Nails, and Other Fasteners Fasteners are a common problem, even more so than spare hammers and screwdrivers.
—Timothy Dale, Better Homes & Gardens, 22 June 2025
Noun
Prosecutors hammered home their case in closing arguments Thursday.
—Richard Winton, Los Angeles Times, 26 June 2025
The strike, which happened as Soleimani traveled to Baghdad, prompted a swift response from Iran, which days later hammered Al-Asad Air Base in Iraq and another U.S. base in Erbil with 13 ballistic missiles.
—Ellen Mitchell, The Hill, 21 June 2025
See All Example Sentences for hammer
Recent Examples of Synonyms for hammer
Verb
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Both Senator Tillis and Representative Don Bacon, a Nebraska Republican, have drawn criticism and isolation after challenging elements of President Donald Trump's policies.—
Anna Commander,
MSNBC Newsweek,
30 June 2025
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Another sequence is drawn upside down, after Mafalda finds a globe and discovers that Argentina is in the Southern Hemisphere.—
Daniel Alarcón,
New Yorker,
30 June 2025
Verb
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Earlier, in the fourth, Chisholm hit his fourth homer in his last five games.—
Gary Phillips,
New York Daily News,
1 July 2025
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Bregman hit 11 home runs in 226 plate appearances, a rate of one every 20.5 at bats.—
Jon Vankin,
MSNBC Newsweek,
1 July 2025
Verb
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The left-hander got pounded a year ago and thumped again in his first taste of big-league action for eight runs in five innings against the Washington Nationals.—
Fabian Ardaya,
New York Times,
26 June 2025
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Kamala Harris pounded Joe Biden over his stances on busing from the 1970s—a long-ago dispute that even became fodder for J.D. Vance in 2024.—
Andrew Yang,
MSNBC Newsweek,
25 June 2025
Verb
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Paul Krugman has referred to deficit hawks as ‘deficit scolds’, because the spend more time warning about the dangers of the deficit than fixing it.—
Mike O'Sullivan,
Forbes.com,
28 June 2025
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Musk and Gor reportedly clashed in Cabinet meetings where Musk scolded Gor over personnel disagreements in recent months.—
Ally Goelz,
The Washington Examiner,
19 June 2025
Noun
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Michelle has a chip on her shoulder and takes more of a dogged, sledgehammer approach.—
Nina Metz,
Chicago Tribune,
25 June 2025
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The mythical 19th-century figure who helped install railroad tracks by way of his sledgehammer skills, Henry has been saluted in literature (Colson Whitehead’s John Henry Days), dance (part of a program by the Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater), and especially music.—
David Browne,
Rolling Stone,
18 Apr. 2025
Verb
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Those helming businesses are required to make a crucial call about staying the course amid uncertainty or forging a brave, new path.—
Naazneen Karmali,
Forbes.com,
4 July 2025
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Combs founded Bad Boy Records in 1993 and forged a roster of stars that jettisoned hip-hop into the mainstream, including the late Notorious B.I.G., Mase, Faith Evans and the groups 112 and Total, among others.—
Curtis Bunn,
NBC news,
3 July 2025
Verb
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Even 6 inches of moving water can pose a serious risk of knocking you off your feet.—
STAR-TELEGRAM WEATHER BOT,
Fort Worth Star-Telegram,
1 July 2025
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But failure rates knocked maybe a percentage point off total yearly returns, in aggregate, and insurance products were available and continually diversifying.—
Brian Domitrovic,
Forbes.com,
1 July 2025
Verb
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In the video, the mother dog stays close to her pup, licking him and standing over him protectively.—
Rachael O'Connor,
MSNBC Newsweek,
30 June 2025
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While her Nickelodeon and Disney peers have seemingly all had at least one major scandal to their names (ranging from incessant twerking and licking unpurchased donuts to near-fatal overdoses), Palmer’s celebrity was, in part, defined by her lack of verifiable scandals.—
Kyle Denis,
Billboard,
25 June 2025
Cite this Entry
“Hammer.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/hammer. Accessed 9 Jul. 2025.
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