HAMMER AND TONGS Synonyms: 134 Similar and Opposite Words

hammer-and-tongs 1 of 2

adjective

Definition of hammer-and-tongs

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

hammer and tongs

2 of 2

adverb

as in sharply

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Example Sentences

Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.

Recent Examples of hammer-and-tongs

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

The protests quickly turned violent as demonstrators lobbed Molotov cocktails at the Education Ministry and clashed with police.

— Chris Massaro, FOXNews.com, 28 Oct. 2026
The Lilliputians are as small-minded as their size and conduct querulous, violent debates about which end of an egg to crack (so obviously similar to the theological complexities of Swift’s own day).

— Literary Hub, Literary Hub, 28 Oct. 2026

Definition of violent

Adverb

The charges have been sharply reduced since May and many residents have been seeing a credit on their monthly bills as the public benefits charges have been temporarily eliminated.

— Christopher Keating, Hartford Courant, 28 Oct. 2026
Ukraine President Volodymyr Zelenskyy has sharply criticized the diesel deal.

— Spencer Kimball, CNBC, 27 Oct. 2026

Definition of sharply

Adjective

The rising, warming sea and ferocious winter storms have battered the road.

— Los Angeles Times, Los Angeles Times, 29 Oct. 2026
One of the most celebrated objects from the India Museum is a mechanical wooden sculpture of a ferocious tiger gnawing at a British soldier’s throat.

— Rebecca Mead, New Yorker, 26 Oct. 2026

Definition of ferocious

Adverb

If there is a starquake, a sudden shift in the neutron star crust, the magnetic field gets shaken violently.

— Phil Plait, Scientific American, 30 Oct. 2026
The following decade, his Cultural Revolution violently sought to purge capitalist and traditional elements from Chinese society and created a cult of personality around him.

— Tom Williams, New York Times, 28 Oct. 2026

Definition of violently

Adjective

But this latest poll reflects a fierce anti-Trump sentiment among Michigan voters.

— Arkansas Online, Arkansas Online, 2 Nov. 2026
As the company navigates fierce critics and a wave of communities outside the Atlanta area ending their contracts, Flock has been tightening some standards on its own, nationwide.

— Graham Hurley, CNN Money, 1 Nov. 2026

Definition of fierce

Adverb

The easy chemistry translates into the competition itself, where Levine notes that the four coaches are all fiercely competitive, but without the kind of animosity that can sometimes come with fighting over artists.

— Alicia Urrea, Billboard, 2 Nov. 2026
Greg’s colleagues from over the years describe him as fiercely competitive, not just with work projects but also with hobbies like running and weight lifting.

— Julia Black, Vanity Fair, 2 Nov. 2026

Definition of fiercely

Adverb

Funding for Platte County police came to a heated front in a county commission meeting earlier this year where Sheriff Erik Holland and Prosecuting Attorney Erik Zahnd vehemently argued that the law enforcement budget was too low.

— Sophie Lindberg, Kansas City Star, 27 Oct. 2026
The assassination was ordered personally by Walter Ulbricht, head of the Berlin Communist Party, as was widely reported at the time, though it was vehemently denied.

— Literary Hub, Literary Hub, 27 Oct. 2026

Definition of vehemently

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hammer-and-tongs

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“Hammer-and-tongs.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/hammer-and-tongs. Accessed 3 Nov. 2026.

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Synonyms of hammer-and-tongs

adjective

adverb

Example Sentences

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Cite this Entry

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