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
-
Maclean’s work traffics in deep fakes and glitch aesthetics, rainbow cuteness and the tropes of pulp—but these are set against violent dystopias and a world of cruelties borne, especially, by women (see her 2018 video Make Me Up as an example).—
Eugenie Brinkema,
ARTnews.com,
14 June 2026
-
Images of the violent attempt to overthrow the legitimate results of the 2020 election are dominated by a sea of American flags, but at rallies and demonstrations supporting progressive causes, comparatively few are seen.—
Voice of the People,
New York Daily News,
14 June 2026
Adverb
-
Citi also echoed in a note on Friday that sharply lower Chinese crude imports have helped moderate oil prices since the start of the Middle East conflict, reducing fears of a bidding war for supplies.—
Lee Ying Shan,
CNBC,
12 June 2026
-
Meanwhile, stocks sharply rose.—
Sarah Dean,
NBC news,
12 June 2026
Adjective
-
It’s embedded in the lore of the city — the breakout pass, the bounding leap, the midair double clutch, the ferocious snarl.—
Julia Poe,
Chicago Tribune,
11 June 2026
-
The outcome caps one of California’s most ferocious congressional primaries, a contest that reflected the broader struggle between the Democratic Party’s moderate and progressive wings.—
Mathew Miranda
June 9,
Sacbee.com,
10 June 2026
Adverb
-
It was violently suppressed by Seoul’s military government at the time, which deployed troops, tanks and helicopters, leaving hundreds dead or injured.—
ABC News,
ABC News,
15 June 2026
-
Many also reference Oscarville, a predominantly Black community whose residents were violently expelled from Forsyth County in 1912 before the land was eventually submerged beneath the lake decades later.—
Zachary Bynum,
CBS News,
15 June 2026
Adjective
-
Publishers must also navigate changing consumer behavior, rising shipping costs and a fierce attention economy.—
Josh Rivera,
USA Today,
14 June 2026
-
The backlash was so fierce, Anthropic quickly made adjustments to the policy, as Wired reported on Wednesday, highlighting just how carefully the company is treading.—
Victor Tangermann,
Futurism,
11 June 2026
Adverb
-
Seksan Mongkhonkhamsao/Getty Images Few assets are protected as fiercely as a retirement account.—
Angelica Leicht,
CBS News,
15 June 2026
-
Having introduced that fiercely luminous piece in 2023, Dudamel brought it back in March, placing it on the second half of a concert that began with Beethoven’s Seventh.—
Alex Ross,
New Yorker,
15 June 2026
Adjective
-
After a first round where Steve Garcia seemed to land more punches and Lopes looked hesitant, Lopes won the bout in the second round by knockout, with a furious combination of punches, starting with a right and left hand to Garcia's face.—
Andrew Greif,
NBC news,
15 June 2026
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College coaches, administrators and prominent boosters all over the state, and nation, are furious at Texas Tech football coach Joey McGuire, Texas Tech athletic director Kirby Hocutt, and Texas Tech booster Cody Campbell.—
Fort Worth Star-Telegram,
Fort Worth Star-Telegram,
11 June 2026
Adverb
-
Following that blast, Thailand suspended all work on the peace agreement, and accused Cambodia of violating the joint declaration by laying fresh landmines – a claim Cambodia vehemently denies.—
Helen Regan,
CNN Money,
9 Dec. 2025
-
Hegseth on Saturday vehemently denied having issued a kill order on survivors, as was reported by the Post.—
CBS News,
CBS News,
6 Dec. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Hammer-and-tongs.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/hammer-and-tongs. Accessed 17 Jun. 2026.
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