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
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
-
His predecessor, Hailemariam Desalegn, had overseen strong economic growth during his nearly six-year rule but continued a historical pattern of using violent crackdowns to crush dissent.—
Nimi Princewill,
CNN Money,
31 May 2026
-
That was in March of 2011, when pro-democracy protests against the regime of President Bashar al-Assad led to a violent government crackdown and civil war.—
Jon LaPook,
CBS News,
31 May 2026
Adverb
-
The steep walls of the Stikine canyon dropped sharply below us, revealing a boiling, twisting, narrow river.—
Anton Money,
Outdoor Life,
4 June 2026
-
The three gubernatorial front-runners for California governor offer sharply different futures for state workforce.—
Ruyuan Li. Story produced with AI assistance,
Sacbee.com,
4 June 2026
Adjective
-
Fires ravaged the ballpark’s left-field bleachers in May 1926, and a tornado’s ferocious winds tore through additional sections of seats that July, and ownership could not afford to renovate.—
Gabrielle Starr,
Boston Herald,
3 June 2026
-
Noisy, ebullient, ferocious and free, Dance!—
SPIN Staff,
SPIN,
1 June 2026
Adverb
-
There’s a massive shoot-out where Alamo and Laurie are both killed, violently.—
Savannah Walsh,
Vanity Fair,
29 May 2026
-
Karvan and Kavian also took part in the massive protests that swept across Iran in January, before the uprising was violently quashed by the regime.—
Omar Abdulkader,
CBS News,
28 May 2026
Adjective
-
Reddit is home to many of Civilization VII’s fiercest critics, but Test of Time also appears to be well received there, too.—
Barry Collins,
Forbes.com,
31 May 2026
-
She will be remembered for her loving generosity, fierce opinions, endless curiosity, unique style, and her powdered, almond, crescent cookies at Christmas, hence her name, Auntie Cookie.—
ABC News,
ABC News,
31 May 2026
Adverb
-
On the other side, De la Espriella has promised to fiercely crack down on criminal groups and build 10 megaprisons, following in a similar vein as El Salvador’s president, Nayib Bukele, in his war on gangs, which has been beset by abuses, according to findings by human rights groups.—
Megan Janetsky,
Los Angeles Times,
1 June 2026
-
When was your competitive edge last tested and sharpened — evaluated against your peers in today’s fiercely competitive talent war?—
Jim Hebets,
Forbes.com,
1 June 2026
Adjective
-
Before the playoff the pair had to fight off a furious charge from last year’s winner, Ben Griffin, who started the day off in 19th place but had the final day’s best round at 5-under 65.—
Lawrence Dow,
Fort Worth Star-Telegram,
31 May 2026
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The 24-year-old infielder launched a two-run home run off the Orioles’ Trevor Rogers in the seventh inning of the Blue Jays’ furious come-from-behind 6-5 win in Baltimore.—
Jon Becker,
Mercury News,
30 May 2026
Adverb
-
The idea is vehemently opposed by the players union.—
Jordan Fabian,
Fortune,
6 June 2026
-
His mother even suggested that what he was involved with was a cult — a notion Richards vehemently opposed.—
Alexandra Schonfeld,
PEOPLE,
5 June 2026
Cite this Entry
“Hammer-and-tongs.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/hammer-and-tongs. Accessed 8 Jun. 2026.
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