as in violent
marked by bursts of destructive force or intense activity
the scuffle escalated into a hammer-and-tongs fight
Synonyms & Similar Words
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
as in sharply
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Dissimilar Words
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
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
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
-
The left is always, at all times and places, a violent phenomenon full of hatred.—
Ross O'Keefe,
The Washington Examiner,
11 Sep. 2025
-
Dinah Voyles Pulver, a national correspondent for USA TODAY, has written about hurricanes, tornadoes and violent weather for more than 30 years.—
Dinah Voyles Pulver,
USA Today,
11 Sep. 2025
Adverb
-
The report said that water storage in Washington’s five reservoirs in the Yakima River Basin has dropped sharply, bringing levels, at times, to some of the lowest measured since record-keeping started in 1971.—
Doyle Rice,
USA Today,
14 Sep. 2025
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Conversely, if rates rise sharply, Buffett can earn more on cash and bonds while waiting, raising the bar for equity investments.—
Robert Daugherty,
Forbes.com,
13 Sep. 2025
Adjective
-
Just like that, Denver’s ferocious defensive front had turned a go-ahead scoring opportunity for the Titans into a punt.—
Nick Kosmider,
New York Times,
8 Sep. 2025
-
The conflict in Europe was mirrored by a ferocious debate between scientists and Spiritualists, each side fueled by the pain of their own private losses.—
Alice Vernon
September 8,
Literary Hub,
8 Sep. 2025
Adverb
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The trailer that Derrickson mentions shows the Grabber has only grown more powerful in death, capable of violently harming Gwen in her dreams.—
Nick Romano,
Entertainment Weekly,
10 Sep. 2025
-
Wright and Cooke both lean right into the emotionally heightened madness of it all, especially as Laura and Cherry’s cold war turns extremely, violently hot.—
Alan Sepinwall,
Rolling Stone,
8 Sep. 2025
Adjective
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In the face of fierce opposition, Lyles supported bringing the Republican National Convention to Charlotte in 2020 — standing on her commitment to represent the entire city as mayor.—
Briah Lumpkins,
Charlotte Observer,
15 Sep. 2025
-
In Paradise Bay, competition is fierce to attract high-end clientele and the standout offering at Maxx Royal is its two-story, 5,750-square-meter spa.—
Maureen O'Hare,
CNN Money,
15 Sep. 2025
Adverb
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While Redford might have shied away from calling himself an activist, he was fiercely dedicated to pushing for a world that was habitable for all.—
Simmone Shah,
Time,
16 Sep. 2025
-
Unions fiercely resist any accountability for performance.—
Steve Forbes,
Forbes.com,
16 Sep. 2025
Adjective
-
Never one to shy away from making a scene at the annual Düsseldorf Caravan Salon, Bürstner came on mission this year, unleashing a furious innovation offensive that included novelties like a moving bathroom and a small semi-integrated motorhome dressed up like a camper van.—
New Atlas,
New Atlas,
15 Sep. 2025
-
As if Destiny 2 needed any more disasters right now, a new one has surfaced that has players furious.—
Paul Tassi,
Forbes.com,
13 Sep. 2025
Adverb
-
Herald readers who vehemently object to changing the Massachusetts flag by a wide margin have allies on the GOP ticket for governor.—
Isabelle Friedman,
Boston Herald,
16 Sep. 2025
-
However, an American civil liberties group vehemently denied Bondi’s claims.—
Ashleigh Fields,
The Hill,
16 Sep. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Hammer and tongs.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/hammer%20and%20tongs. Accessed 17 Sep. 2025.
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