as in violent
marked by bursts of destructive force or intense activity
the scuffle escalated into a hammer-and-tongs fight
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
as in sharply
Related Words
Dissimilar Words
Example Sentences
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.
Recent Examples of hammer-and-tongs
Chris Wheatley, Longreads, 16 July 2024
The action on Nevarro is crisp and well-presented, highlighted by the Armorer taking out the sniper’s nest singlehandedly with only her hammer and tongs as weapons.
—Alan Sepinwall, Rolling Stone, 29 Mar. 2023
The two conservative groups that brought the case were targeted by Harris in 2012-13, right around the time the IRS was going hammer and tongs after Tea Party groups.
—Dan McLaughlin, National Review, 1 July 2021
Two teams who seem destined to slug it out in the lower reaches of the table this season going hammer and tongs at each other never makes for a good watch.
—SI.com, 18 Sep. 2019
With two moderate Pyrenean climbs, Thursday’s Stage 12 from Toulouse, where cassoulet and rugby are both big, wasn’t tough enough for Thomas and his rivals to go at each other hammer and tongs.
—Washington Post, 18 July 2019
The way to stand out from the others is to go hammer and tongs for the opponents’ jugulars, or to try to sound more extreme than the others.
—Jim Jones, idahostatesman, 18 May 2018
Adverb
In 1971, authors Norman Mailer and Gore Vidal went at it hammer and tongs live on late-night TV in a showdown that allegedly spilled over into violence.
—Chris Wheatley, Longreads, 16 July 2024
The action on Nevarro is crisp and well-presented, highlighted by the Armorer taking out the sniper’s nest singlehandedly with only her hammer and tongs as weapons.
—Alan Sepinwall, Rolling Stone, 29 Mar. 2023
The two conservative groups that brought the case were targeted by Harris in 2012-13, right around the time the IRS was going hammer and tongs after Tea Party groups.
—Dan McLaughlin, National Review, 1 July 2021
Two teams who seem destined to slug it out in the lower reaches of the table this season going hammer and tongs at each other never makes for a good watch.
—SI.com, 18 Sep. 2019
With two moderate Pyrenean climbs, Thursday’s Stage 12 from Toulouse, where cassoulet and rugby are both big, wasn’t tough enough for Thomas and his rivals to go at each other hammer and tongs.
—Washington Post, 18 July 2019
The way to stand out from the others is to go hammer and tongs for the opponents’ jugulars, or to try to sound more extreme than the others.
—Jim Jones, idahostatesman, 18 May 2018
Recent Examples of Synonyms for hammer-and-tongs
Adjective
-
One of the only figures in Fuqua’s filmography who resembles Alonzo is Suge Knight, the real-life hip-hop executive known for his bullying—and sometimes violent—approach to business and life.—
Kelefa Sanneh,
New Yorker,
20 Apr. 2026
-
The violent attack marked a tragic and final chapter in Griffin’s downward spiral following his mother’s death in 2021.—
Roni Jacobson,
New York Daily News,
19 Apr. 2026
Adverb
-
Big-hearted and sharply funny, Lucy Schulman is a charming comedic coming-of-age story from multihyphenate Tribeca alum Ellie Sachs.—
Ryan Lattanzio,
IndieWire,
16 Apr. 2026
-
Higher oil prices have sharply increased operating expenses for shipping firms, squeezing margins and forcing governments, including Hong Kong, to step in with temporary support.—
Lee Ying Shan,Emily Tan,
CNBC,
16 Apr. 2026
Adjective
-
Having a husband who engaged with his kids with ferocious tenderness and playful delight was a gift.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
15 Apr. 2026
-
After some ferocious wildfire years, insurers faced massive losses.—
Steven Greenhut,
Oc Register,
12 Apr. 2026
Adverb
-
The question is whether they will be established peacefully before the scramble begins, or contentiously — possibly violently — after the fact.—
Antony Davies,
Boston Herald,
19 Apr. 2026
-
As my photos of his shocking, horrific accident show, in an instant Stevens’ dragster turned sideways, crossed the center line, veered back towards the protective wall along the right side of the track and crashed violently into it.—
Jan Wagner,
San Diego Union-Tribune,
18 Apr. 2026
Adjective
-
Ganesh’s exit from the show was announced earlier this month, sparking a fierce wave of pushback from fans of the HBO show.—
Tribune News Service,
Baltimore Sun,
17 Apr. 2026
-
That sum would amount to more than 10 times what President Obama released to Iran under a 2015 nuclear deal, called the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action, that was the subject of fierce Republican criticism in the decade since.—
Los Angeles Times,
Los Angeles Times,
17 Apr. 2026
Adverb
-
Larter stars as Angela Norris, the fiercely independent wife of Billy Bob Thornton’s Tommy Norris, a character who refuses to conform to expectations.—
Deirdre Durkan,
PEOPLE,
17 Apr. 2026
-
Her empathetic and fiercely protective Olivia Benson, now captain of the NYPD's Special Victim's Unit in Manhattan, has becoming the longest-reigning character in primetime TV.—
Anika Reed,
USA Today,
17 Apr. 2026
Adjective
-
The Fury Road headliner is furious with the actor, whose Oscar dreams were famously dashed last month.—
Séraphine Roger,
Vanity Fair,
19 Apr. 2026
-
The judge was furious, setting Baldwin free.—
Meg James,
Los Angeles Times,
18 Apr. 2026
Adverb
-
Kaori’s mother vehemently denied that her fiancé was the target, and Brooklyn District Attorney Eric Gonzalez partially walked that back Tuesday when announcing grand jury indictments against the two suspects.—
Thomas Tracy,
New York Daily News,
11 Apr. 2026
-
Bambaataa has vehemently denied those allegations.—
CBS News,
CBS News,
10 Apr. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Hammer-and-tongs.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/hammer-and-tongs. Accessed 23 Apr. 2026.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
