as in violent
marked by bursts of destructive force or intense activity
the scuffle escalated into a hammer-and-tongs fight
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
as in sharply
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Example Sentences
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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
The Reds went hammer and tongs in their efforts to find a second, though their hosts were able to hold off the onslaught until the final 10 minutes of the clash.
—SI.com, 15 Aug. 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
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
Adjective
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
The Reds went hammer and tongs in their efforts to find a second, though their hosts were able to hold off the onslaught until the final 10 minutes of the clash.
—SI.com, 15 Aug. 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
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
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As droves of tourists continue to flock to Spain for European summer vacations, the nation’s emergency responders are dealing with the aftermath of a violent wave of flash flooding in nearly half of the country’s 50 provinces.—
Opheli Garcia Lawler,
Travel + Leisure,
14 July 2025
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The two got married, had a baby, and started a quiet life together far away from his violent past.—
Allison DeGrushe Published,
EW.com,
14 July 2025
Adjective
-
On the wall behind her, Gauguin has painted glyphs like those discovered on Easter Island, and a masked female figure, ferocious and bare-breasted.—
Alexandra Schwartz,
New Yorker,
11 July 2025
-
Last time around, the titular Addams Family member, portrayed by Jenna Ortega, saved Nevermore by solving the mystery of the Hyde’s identity and putting a stop to the ferocious creature.—
Bailey Richards,
People.com,
9 July 2025
Adjective
-
He’s also ruled out the Chinese mainland due to fierce competition, entrenched EV incumbents, and a power grid so advanced that ultra-fast charging is widely available—making battery swapping largely unnecessary.—
Clay Chandler,
Fortune,
19 July 2025
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The two have one of the fiercest rivals in college football known as the Iron Bowl.—
Taylor Ardrey,
USA Today,
19 July 2025
Adverb
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The IndyCar Paddock fiercely fights each other on the race track in the heat of battle.—
Bruce Martin,
Forbes.com,
19 July 2025
-
Getty Images Despite federal opposition, California's leadership has remained fiercely defensive of the project.—
Theo Burman,
MSNBC Newsweek,
17 July 2025
Adjective
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Lansing, the first woman to lead a Hollywood studio, was furious.—
Michael Grynbaum,
HollywoodReporter,
14 July 2025
-
As a result of their negligence, a little boy who lives in the Flats dies, and Sodality is furious.—
Deborah Williams
July 14,
Literary Hub,
14 July 2025
Adjective
-
Wander the ruins of Cristóvão de Moura’s palace, a poignant echo of Portugal’s turbulent entanglement with Spanish rule.—
Lewis Nunn,
Forbes.com,
21 July 2025
-
All died in the turbulent waters of Lake Michigan while vacationing in South Haven, where public outrage over the lack of lifeguards has been building.—
Tresa Baldas,
Freep.com,
21 July 2025
Adjective
-
Here are several other Twins takeaways from a rough weekend in Denver, which ended on an encouraging note: Ryan shows confidence after first All-Star Game Making his first start since delivering a dominant inning in the All-Star Game on Tuesday, Ryan was outstanding in the series finale.—
Dan Hayes,
New York Times,
21 July 2025
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Devin Williams has settled down after a rough beginning of the year, and Luke Weaver remains superb despite some hiccups before the All-Star Break.—
Daniel R. Epstein,
Forbes.com,
21 July 2025
Adjective
-
The island chain was (and is still being) formed by a volcanic hot spot that has so far created 15 different volcanoes that stretch 3,800 miles across the Pacific.—
Elizabeth Weise,
USA Today,
14 July 2025
-
Schrodinger basin, a large impact crater near the moon’s south pole, shows evidence of geologically recent volcanic activity.—
Richard Tribou,
The Orlando Sentinel,
13 July 2025
Cite this Entry
“Hammer and tongs.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/hammer%20and%20tongs. Accessed 24 Jul. 2025.
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