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
Synonyms & Similar Words
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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
Synonyms & Similar Words
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
Related Words
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of hammer
Bernard Marr, Forbes.com, 15 July 2025
Blount then struck Rothschild in the head 13 times with a hammer and grabbed her tote bag before fleeing the scene, according to the prosecutor’s office.
—Lesley Cosme Torres, People.com, 10 July 2025
Zach Pressnell, MSNBC Newsweek, 21 July 2025
The billionaire later deleted and apologized for those posts but has continued to hammer the administration for failing to prosecute anyone connected to Epstein besides Ghislaine Maxwell.
—Miles Klee, Rolling Stone, 19 July 2025
See All Example Sentences for hammer
Verb
In one video, it’s also seen opening bottles of Coke, frying food in a pan, operating a hammer and soldering iron, and folding itself up into a package small enough to be carried.
—Bernard Marr, Forbes.com, 15 July 2025
Blount then struck Rothschild in the head 13 times with a hammer and grabbed her tote bag before fleeing the scene, according to the prosecutor’s office.
—Lesley Cosme Torres, People.com, 10 July 2025
Noun
Shortly after the All-Star break, Suárez hammered two home runs in back-to-back games, bringing his season total to 35.
—Zach Pressnell, MSNBC Newsweek, 21 July 2025
The billionaire later deleted and apologized for those posts but has continued to hammer the administration for failing to prosecute anyone connected to Epstein besides Ghislaine Maxwell.
—Miles Klee, Rolling Stone, 19 July 2025
See All Example Sentences for hammer
Recent Examples of Synonyms for hammer
Verb
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The intentionality behind community-building is what drew Brockenbrough to the platform.—
Janice Gassam Asare,
Forbes.com,
17 Aug. 2025
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Left-handed rookie Noah Cameron will start Wednesday night and right-hander Michael Lorenzen draws the start in the series finale on Thursday.—
Kansas City Star,
Kansas City Star,
17 Aug. 2025
Verb
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Gordon, hitting holes hard with his physical running style, sparked the run game in the second half.—
David Furones,
Sun Sentinel,
17 Aug. 2025
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Produced by Universal Pictures, Nobody 2 is the sequel to the 2021 action comedy hit Nobody.—
Tim Lammers,
Forbes.com,
17 Aug. 2025
Verb
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Although Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has not said when troops would enter Gaza City, his country’s forces have continued to pound the area, killing dozens in recent days.—
Jeronimo Gonzalez,
semafor.com,
13 Aug. 2025
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Get aligned and intentional before pounding the keyboard.—
Jodie Cook,
Forbes.com,
13 Aug. 2025
Verb
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Some have also scolded Colossal for tinkering with genetics, but the tech firm insists its work will aid in the conservation and protection of endangered species.—
Mike Snider,
USA Today,
12 Aug. 2025
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With the camel’s back broken, Dorothy Scott, summoning all her righteous indignation (and channeled with maybe one-third of Audra McDonald’s extraordinary talent, which is still enough to power the city of Manhattan), lets the snobby scold have it.—
Ben Travers,
IndieWire,
11 Aug. 2025
Noun
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Mayor Michelle Wu gleefully took a sledgehammer to the walls of an eight-story South Boston building to break ground on the city’s largest office-to-residential conversion project to date, accounting for 77 of the 141 such units under construction.—
Gayla Cawley,
Boston Herald,
17 July 2025
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Blunt instrument The Supreme Court’s new test, with its implicit suggestion that coercion is found in exposure to materials that go against central tenets of parental religion, is more sledgehammer than scalpel.—
Stephen L. Carter,
Mercury News,
8 July 2025
Verb
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Holt also embraced telemedicine and other technological tools to improve patient experience throughout the COVID-19 pandemic and beyond, forging a path for bettering patient care in the digital age.—
Grace Tucker,
The Enquirer,
7 Aug. 2025
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Alexia has done it the right way, by putting in her time, forging bonds with all the women, and bringing more storylines than a decade’s worth of telenovelas.—
Brian Moylan,
Vulture,
7 Aug. 2025
Verb
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To get rid of pests, start by spraying a strong stream of water on the plant to knock them off.—
Karen Brewer Grossman,
Southern Living,
18 Aug. 2025
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Whether Washington wants to make the playoffs or retain a lottery pick is an open question, but now that the Mystics control Seattle’s first-rounder (via the Sykes trade), a win Sunday could improve the Storm pick by knocking it into the lottery.—
Sabreena Merchant,
New York Times,
18 Aug. 2025
Verb
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In it, the dog licked its butt, then licked Paul’s lips.—
Simon Bland,
IndieWire,
6 Aug. 2025
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If pets or livestock have contact with the water, clean the animal with clean water right away and keep them from licking their body, the department advises.—
Shannon Tyler,
Idaho Statesman,
5 Aug. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Hammer.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/hammer. Accessed 21 Aug. 2025.
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