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
-
Jessica Gorman delivered emotional remarks Saturday at a vigil in Yorktown Heights, New York, honoring her daughter — a Loyola University Chicago freshman whose life was cut short in what authorities describe as a sudden, violent attack.—
Sophia Compton,
FOXNews.com,
29 Mar. 2026
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That’s a reference to what Duncan always intended, and rightly so, as a holistic approach to the problem of violent crime, involving not just violence interrupting by former gang members turned peacekeepers but better education and job opportunities for the young people most at risk.—
The Editorial Board,
Chicago Tribune,
29 Mar. 2026
Adverb
-
If a borrower has fallen significantly behind, which typically happens at 90 to 180 days past due, the chances of recovering the full balance drop sharply.—
Angelica Leicht,
CBS News,
26 Mar. 2026
-
Bloomberg reported that memory chip stocks fell sharply after Google highlighted a new algorithm, TurboQuant, that can reduce the memory needed to run large AI models by up to sixfold.—
Sharon Goldman,
Fortune,
26 Mar. 2026
Adjective
-
Sierra Canyon used a ferocious press and got points from unexpected places, like 3-pointers from Stephen Kankole, dunks from Jordan Mize and 11 points with 10 assists from JJ Sati-Grier.—
Tarek Fattal,
Daily News,
26 Mar. 2026
-
Still, any attempt to use Harry Potter as a lens through which to view human decency can’t avoid the ferocious, half-blind dragon in the room.—
Séamas O'Reilly,
Vulture,
26 Mar. 2026
Adverb
-
Here, tiny bubbles form and then collapse violently, which can damage metals, create shockwaves, and make noise.—
Christopher McFadden,
Interesting Engineering,
29 Mar. 2026
-
The Israeli Journalists’ Union demanded that military authorities fully prosecute the soldiers who violently assaulted the crew.—
Jeremy Diamond,
CNN Money,
29 Mar. 2026
Adjective
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Nothing except getting into fierce arguments with fellow-Jews, some would say, which Olitzky—who has a round, boyish face and a conciliatory manner—portrayed as a privilege rather than a burden.—
Eyal Press,
New Yorker,
30 Mar. 2026
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With one-of-a-kind offerings from the likes of Inglenook, Crocker & Starr, Amici Cellars, Peju, Long Meadow Ranch, and a collaboration between Dakota Shy and Detert Family Vineyards, bidding was fierce on Cabernet Franc.—
Mike DeSimone,
Robb Report,
29 Mar. 2026
Adverb
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Like all classic bands, Queen’s greatest strength was the combination of the personalities — four very different but forceful and fiercely competitive people.—
Jem Aswad,
Variety,
27 Mar. 2026
-
Spellane said Patriot Mobile was one of the only companies that fiercely defended users’ privacy.—
Eleanor Dearman,
Fort Worth Star-Telegram,
26 Mar. 2026
Adjective
-
Britain and France were furious—the canal carried oil and other goods that were vital to European economies—and determined to take back control.—
Ishaan Tharoor,
New Yorker,
30 Mar. 2026
-
Conservative hardliners in the House woke up furious that their Senate counterparts had passed a deal without ICE and Border Patrol funding in the dead of night.—
Nicole Fallert,
USA Today,
27 Mar. 2026
Adverb
-
The White House has vehemently pushed back on Kent's claims.—
Anne Bryson,
CBS News,
28 Mar. 2026
-
Ultimately, a lack of Democratic support for weakening the filibuster prevented them from passing that legislation, but Republicans were also vehemently opposed and leaned on arguments about protecting states’ rights.—
David Sivak,
The Washington Examiner,
26 Mar. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Hammer-and-tongs.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/hammer-and-tongs. Accessed 3 Apr. 2026.
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