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
-
Safavi said the blackout coincided with violent confrontations in several regions.—
Emma Bussey,
FOXNews.com,
9 Jan. 2026
-
Parallel societies in certain urban areas and rising violent crime statistics linked to some migrant cohorts in countries such as Sweden and Germany led to the dramatic rise of populist and patriotic parties across the continent, from France to Italy to the Netherlands.—
Daniel Ross Goodman,
The Washington Examiner,
9 Jan. 2026
Adverb
-
When powered by renewable energy, electric roads can sharply reduce transport emissions.—
Atharva Gosavi,
Interesting Engineering,
8 Nov. 2025
-
After accounting for its large interest expenses, those margins turn sharply negative.—
Jeremy Kahn,
Fortune,
8 Nov. 2025
Adjective
-
Protecting Rodgers against the Texans’ ferocious pass rush represents a tall task, though.—
Mike Jones,
New York Times,
10 Jan. 2026
-
Aside from being a general nuisance with their ferocious snores, pungent odors and growls, bears can do serious damage to a home.—
Hannah Fry,
Los Angeles Times,
9 Jan. 2026
Adverb
-
After an employee declined, he is shown on video violently pushing a cash register onto the floor and knocking other items off a counter.—
Robert Salonga,
Mercury News,
9 Jan. 2026
-
Iran's autocratic regime has quashed several previous waves of unrest, violently, and the source in Tehran told CBS News there was significant fear among many people that the current protests would draw a similar draconian crackdown.—
Tucker Reals,
CBS News,
9 Jan. 2026
Adjective
-
Some nearby residents, including Sue Weston — the owner of Weston Gardens in Bloom, a historic garden located on Anglin Drive — have expressed fierce opposition to the data center.—
Emily Holshouser,
Fort Worth Star-Telegram,
7 Jan. 2026
-
Last year, the governor tried to increase the number of in-office days to four only to face fierce resistance from his employees and their labor representatives.—
William Melhado,
Sacbee.com,
6 Jan. 2026
Adverb
-
Americans argued fiercely about whether to intervene abroad, but largely shared the same moral vocabulary.—
Philip Martin,
Washington Post,
7 Jan. 2026
-
Coleman will play Cheyenne Barnes, a fiercely confident hairstylist whose bold sexuality and razor-sharp wit command attention, masking the emotional scars she’s carried for years.—
Rosy Cordero,
Deadline,
5 Jan. 2026
Adjective
-
Anaheim had a furious rally in the third, outshooting Washington 17-5.—
CBS News,
CBS News,
6 Jan. 2026
-
For at that very moment, the barn door swung open, and snow swept up in a furious fashion.—
Lauren Ashley Bishop,
Variety,
4 Jan. 2026
Adverb
-
The Foundation for Individual Rights and Expression, an organization that frequently advocates for free speech on college campuses, has vehemently denounced the school’s decision to alter Peterson’s syllabus, claiming the university’s decision violates the First Amendment.—
Samuel O'Neal,
Fort Worth Star-Telegram,
7 Jan. 2026
-
Uhlfelder vehemently disagreed, writing back that Kitchen and Mattox had been listed on all the court paperwork.—
Dan Sullivan,
The Orlando Sentinel,
2 Jan. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Hammer-and-tongs.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/hammer-and-tongs. Accessed 11 Jan. 2026.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
Share