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

In recent years, right-wing figures and media outlets have advanced the narrative that transgender people and those who support them are violent or dangerous to society.

— Lisa Hagen, NPR, 30 Sep. 2026
Instead, the Boeing 737 Max 8 plunged thousands of feet after a violent confrontation erupted inside its cockpit.

— Aamir Khollam, Interesting Engineering, 30 Sep. 2026

Definition of violent

Adverb

Charlottesville has become more Democratic, while rural areas have moved sharply toward Republicans.

— Barnini Chakraborty, The Washington Examiner, 30 Sep. 2026
Once the company and its shareholders become accustomed to such a financial boost, an environment where individual guest spending sharply increases even when domestic park attendance is soft or steady, there’s likely no turning back.

— Todd Martens, Los Angeles Times, 29 Sep. 2026

Definition of sharply

Adjective

Pursuing Leamas and Doris are Josef Fiedler and Hans-Dieter Mundt, two Stasi operatives whose ferocious desire to shut down the intelligence leak is matched only by their internal rivalry and an iron will to outmatch each other.

— Max Goldbart, Deadline, 28 Sep. 2026
Pursuing Leamas and Doris are Josef Fiedler (Brühl) and Hans-Dieter Mundt (Kammerer), two Stasi operatives whose ferocious desire to shut down the intelligence leak is matched only by their internal rivalry and an iron will to outmatch each other.

— Alex Ritman, Variety, 28 Sep. 2026

Definition of ferocious

Adverb

Lapcevich tried to confront Heim after the race but was held back by Bryant, who instead brought six team members to do so violently.

— Steve Henson, Los Angeles Times, 30 Sep. 2026
Police at the time revealed only parts of Choi’s body had been located, deepening the intense media reporting - and social media speculation - over why the life of a popular socialite had been cut short so violently.

— Chris Lau, CNN Money, 30 Sep. 2026

Definition of violently

Adjective

The rare show of alignment among fierce rivals was soon countered by comments from Meta’s Zuckerberg and Nvidia’s Jensen Huang, both of whom dismissed the slowdown idea.

— Alyson Shontell, Fortune, 5 Oct. 2026
The book and series focus on the complicated romance of Canadian hockey prodigy Shane Hollander (Hudson Williams) and Russian phenom Ilya Rozanov (Connor Storrie), who are the fierce on-ice rivals and the league’s best players.

— Nicole Fell, HollywoodReporter, 4 Oct. 2026

Definition of fierce

Adverb

There, in the early nineties, the living fought fiercely among the dead.

— Anthony Lane, New Yorker, 28 Sep. 2026
That is the question plaguing university leaders across the country, and nowhere is the debate raging more fiercely these days than at the University of California.

— Jack Dolan, Los Angeles Times, 25 Sep. 2026

Definition of fiercely

Adjective

The shooting kicked off a blockbuster federal court case that fell apart only weeks later and led to a day of chaos in Brighton Park as federal agents deployed multiple rounds of chemical munitions against furious residents.

— Caroline Kubzansky, Chicago Tribune, 1 Oct. 2026
Martinez was said to have been furious with officials responsible for executing Pike.

— Brian Niemietz, New York Daily News, 1 Oct. 2026

Definition of furious

Adverb

Russian social media channels have been rife with rumors of a further mobilization post-elections to shore up Russia’s manpower in Ukraine – something the Kremlin vehemently denies.

— Zahra Ullah, CNN Money, 18 Sep. 2026
Those were Silver's first public comments after the Clippers were found to have circumvented salary cap rules on Kawhi Leonard's behalf — something the team vehemently denied during a yearlong investigation.

— ABC News, ABC News, 15 Sep. 2026

Definition of vehemently

Browse Nearby Words

hammer

hammer-and-tongs

hammer and tongs

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Cite this Entry

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“Hammer-and-tongs.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/hammer-and-tongs. Accessed 6 Oct. 2026.

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Synonyms of hammer-and-tongs

adjective

adverb

Example Sentences

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