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
-
Swart said another giveaway is the hotel accommodations that are arranged for violent rioters.—
Stepheny Price,
FOXNews.com,
21 June 2025
-
Newsom and Trump have sparred over the California protests after the president federalized National Guard troops, arguing local officials were not doing enough to quell demonstrations that at times grew violent, though most protesters were peaceful.—
Andrew Stanton,
MSNBC Newsweek,
20 June 2025
Adjective
-
The Manchester City striker is one of the global game’s most ferocious and intelligent goalscorers.—
Megan Feringa,
New York Times,
28 June 2025
-
Now, she’s added another competitive event to her list of favorites: F1, or Formula 1, largely considered the world's most ferocious and high-tech form of auto racing.—
Marco della Cava,
USA Today,
26 June 2025
Adjective
-
The Supreme Court cases that set off the fiercest conflicts among the justices aren’t always the hot-button ones.—
Dan McLaughlin,
National Review,
25 June 2025
-
And competition is fierce: Waymo has elite tech, Amazon’s Zoox is quietly advancing, and China’s Baidu is pushing fast in its home market.—
Jim Osman,
Forbes.com,
24 June 2025
Adverb
-
And after years of fiercely protecting her private life (and facing incredible scrutiny from the tabloids, who analyzed every move of the Girls girls), Williams is feeling more open to sharing more of herself with the world.—
Stephanie McNeal,
Glamour,
26 June 2025
-
Brands—especially those in the fiercely competitive e-commerce environment—need to think outside the box to stand out.—
Expert Panel®,
Forbes.com,
25 June 2025
Adjective
-
But the Thunder weathered the Pacers’ furious comeback bid on Monday, with Jalen Williams scoring 11 of his game-high 40 points in the fourth.—
Peter Sblendorio,
New York Daily News,
19 June 2025
-
Georgia’s roommate Cooper (perhaps a production plant) then goes and tells Ava, who’s furious and, in turn, tells Riley.—
Tom Smyth,
Vulture,
18 June 2025
Adjective
-
Even Zelensky – who has had a turbulent relationship with Trump – came away with wins.—
Joseph Ataman,
CNN Money,
25 June 2025
-
Reina, Fil-Am team center back, brings us on this turbulent journey, culminating in an intimate trip to her grandmother’s hometown in the Philippines.—
Matthew Carey,
Deadline,
25 June 2025
Adjective
-
Avoid scrubbing the microwave’s interior with rough materials like steel wool or abrasive sponges.—
Karen Brewer Grossman,
Southern Living,
27 June 2025
-
Ransom Canyon star Josh Duhamel didn’t have a rough time getting to know the set of his new film Off the Grid because the actor lives off the grid in real-life.—
Tim Lammers,
Forbes.com,
27 June 2025
Adjective
-
While the asteroid’s sun-blocking fallout caused a period of severe cooling, the next big crisis sounds eerily more familiar: About 56 million years ago, the average temperature on the planet increased by up to 5 degrees Celsius, possibly due to greenhouse gas emissions from volcanic activity.—
Tim Vernimmen,
JSTOR Daily,
19 June 2025
-
Recent rumblings The volcano’s eruption follows significant volcanic activities, including 50 in two hours, up from the average eight to 10 activities per day.—
Laura Sharman,
CNN Money,
18 June 2025
Cite this Entry
“Hammer and tongs.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/hammer%20and%20tongs. Accessed 4 Jul. 2025.
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