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
Related Words
Dissimilar Words
Example Sentences
Recent Examples of Synonyms for hammer-and-tongs
Adjective
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Dinah Voyles Pulver, a national correspondent for USA TODAY, writes about violent weather, climate change and other news.
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English soccer fans have earned a reputation for violent hooliganism, hurling plastic chairs and brawling their way across the piazzas and boulevards of Europe.
Adverb
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Duenas expected sales to climb sharply in the weeks leading up to the tournament and said his customers are coming from all walks of life, including fans from foreign countries.
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Today, visitors can spot wildlife like bison, bighorn sheep, prairie dogs, and black-footed ferrets among the sharply eroded buttes.
Adjective
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Speaking of, Ross asked Janssen about the steamy bathhouse scene during which Xenia and Bond face off in an encounter that is both flirty and ferocious.
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In 2018, a blaze east of Athens moved with ferocious speed, killing more than 100 people.
Adverb
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Attempts to organize farmworkers were often crushed violently.
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Taylor and Mortensen have been engaged in a contentious, high-profile legal battle after a pair of investigations were launched by Utah police departments in February into allegations that each acted violently during altercations that month.
Adjective
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The 2023 arrest of her then-10-year-old cousin for urinating in public brought fierce condemnation.
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For a party that prides itself on diversity, the clashes have exacerbated fierce debates over identity politics and long-standing rifts between progressives and moderates.
Adverb
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Trust is constructed slowly, personally, and protected fiercely.
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Yet the illusion has quickly faded, revealing an appetite for the biggest stage that remains fiercely insatiable.
Adjective
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The Kang Kon was unveiled a month after the Choe Hyon in May 2025, but it was damaged during a botched launch at the northern port of Chongjin, prompting a furious response from Kim.
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Croatia still furious Despite the correct decision being made, Croatia manager Zlatko Dalić was far from happy, saying VAR had ruined the spirit of the game.
Adverb
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Trump has vehemently denied her claims and disputed the Manhattan civil jury's 2023 unanimous verdict.
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In addition to the draft changes, owners have already proposed a big-league salary cap and floor, both of which the MLB players’ union vehemently opposes.
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Cite this Entry
“Hammer-and-tongs.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/hammer-and-tongs. Accessed 6 Jul. 2026.
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