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
-
Rising number of violent incidents, 911 calls But reducing the inmate population did not solve the problem with drugs and violence.—
Kristine Phillips,
IndyStar,
5 Nov. 2025
-
After Maggie and Paul were shot to death on June 7, 2021, Alex was found guilty of two counts of murder and two counts of possession of a weapon during a violent crime, earning two consecutive life sentences without possibility of parole.—
Glenn Garner,
Deadline,
5 Nov. 2025
Adverb
-
When powered by renewable energy, electric roads can sharply reduce transport emissions.—
Atharva Gosavi,
Interesting Engineering,
8 Nov. 2025
-
After accounting for its large interest expenses, those margins turn sharply negative.—
Jeremy Kahn,
Fortune,
8 Nov. 2025
Adjective
-
Just a big ferocious ball of meat, claws, and teeth.—
Fran Ruiz,
Space.com,
31 Oct. 2025
-
Though the storm did not make a direct hit on Haiti, its ferocious rains caused rivers to flood and jump their banks.—
Jacqueline Charles,
Miami Herald,
31 Oct. 2025
Adverb
-
Others abused alcohol and drugs, were separated and divorced, or acted out violently.—
Arianna Huffington,
Fortune,
6 Nov. 2025
-
That same year, Pelosi's husband, Paul, was violently attacked by an intruder who broke into their home demanding to see the then-speaker.—
NPR,
NPR,
6 Nov. 2025
Adjective
-
Some nearby residents, including Sue Weston — the owner of Weston Gardens in Bloom, a historic garden located on Anglin Drive — have expressed fierce opposition to the data center.—
Emily Holshouser,
Fort Worth Star-Telegram,
7 Jan. 2026
-
Last year, the governor tried to increase the number of in-office days to four only to face fierce resistance from his employees and their labor representatives.—
William Melhado,
Sacbee.com,
6 Jan. 2026
Adverb
-
Americans argued fiercely about whether to intervene abroad, but largely shared the same moral vocabulary.—
Philip Martin,
Washington Post,
7 Jan. 2026
-
Coleman will play Cheyenne Barnes, a fiercely confident hairstylist whose bold sexuality and razor-sharp wit command attention, masking the emotional scars she’s carried for years.—
Rosy Cordero,
Deadline,
5 Jan. 2026
Adjective
-
Anaheim had a furious rally in the third, outshooting Washington 17-5.—
CBS News,
CBS News,
6 Jan. 2026
-
For at that very moment, the barn door swung open, and snow swept up in a furious fashion.—
Lauren Ashley Bishop,
Variety,
4 Jan. 2026
Adverb
-
The Foundation for Individual Rights and Expression, an organization that frequently advocates for free speech on college campuses, has vehemently denounced the school’s decision to alter Peterson’s syllabus, claiming the university’s decision violates the First Amendment.—
Samuel O'Neal,
Fort Worth Star-Telegram,
7 Jan. 2026
-
Uhlfelder vehemently disagreed, writing back that Kitchen and Mattox had been listed on all the court paperwork.—
Dan Sullivan,
The Orlando Sentinel,
2 Jan. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Hammer-and-tongs.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/hammer-and-tongs. Accessed 8 Jan. 2026.
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