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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as in sharply
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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
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
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
-
Europeans, Australians and Americans organized violent, racially motivated riots and lawmakers began enacting anti-Chinese immigration legislation, according to Encyclopaedia Britannica.—
Sarah Kuta,
Smithsonian Magazine,
16 May 2025
-
Some liberal critics on social media say that Republicans did not seem to take issue when the same slogan — or even more violent rhetoric — was targeted at a Democratic president.—
Rachel Treisman,
NPR,
16 May 2025
Adjective
-
The crisis is in plain view and the wind is ferocious.—
Mark A. Cohen,
Forbes.com,
12 May 2025
-
His Hozier cover was at turns strategic and nuanced, then unleashed and ferocious.—
Charlie Mason,
TVLine,
5 May 2025
Adjective
-
Their love and fierce loyalty toward one another is a high point of Season 2.—
Lorraine Ali,
Los Angeles Times,
19 May 2025
-
Johnson’s selection came over the fierce opposition of some of the school’s staunchest supporters, who celebrate FAMU’s legacy of Black excellence, social mobility and cultural pride.—
Kate Payne,
The Orlando Sentinel,
16 May 2025
Adverb
-
The Virginia congressman fiercely defended government workers in the wake of President Donald Trump’s election as the Administration sought to cut federal funding and employees.—
Chantelle Lee,
Time,
21 May 2025
-
As one of the last remaining breeds bred for the specific purposes of sledding and hunting, its genetic purity is fiercely protected.—
Katherine Alex Beaven,
Smithsonian Magazine,
21 May 2025
Adjective
-
Eyewitnesses described furious gales and hurricane-like winds that left an avalanche of debris near the pier.—
Lex Harvey,
CNN Money,
15 May 2025
-
But even with a better offensive night for Jerome, he was still beaten off the dribble too many times and couldn’t stay on the court for that last, furious push.—
Eric Koreen,
New York Times,
14 May 2025
Adjective
-
These steps prevent, rather than heal, costly losses that weaken a company’s cash position, especially in turbulent times.—
Dean Kaplan,
Forbes.com,
22 May 2025
-
This time, there’s still some uneasiness around the organization, mainly rooted in its turbulent recent past.—
James L. Edwards III,
New York Times,
22 May 2025
Adjective
-
Zippers provide the most secure closure, but their bulkiness and rough feel may mar a peaceful sleep.—
Carrie Honaker,
Southern Living,
22 May 2025
-
The 200 square miles of surrounding coral reefs proved rough for mariners, but divers now reap the benefits with some 300 shipwrecks to explore, from the 192-foot American schooner Constellation that sank during World War II to the Mary Celestia, a Civil War era paddle-wheeler.—
Robb Report Studio,
Robb Report,
22 May 2025
Adjective
-
Other sites may hold clues about volcanic activity on the Moon or the solar system’s early history.—
Zhenbo Wang,
The Conversation,
16 May 2025
-
Hundreds of times more intense and brighter than those seen on Earth, they're caused both by high-energy particles from the sun but also from Jupiter's moon, Io — the most volcanic body in the solar system.—
Jamie Carter,
Forbes.com,
16 May 2025
Cite this Entry
“Hammer-and-tongs.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/hammer-and-tongs. Accessed 25 May. 2025.
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