as in violent
marked by bursts of destructive force or intense activity
the scuffle escalated into a hammer-and-tongs fight
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
as in sharply
Related Words
Dissimilar Words
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
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
-
The death of a star is usually thought to be a violent and hostile place, filled with scorching radiation that destroys fragile molecules.—
Rupendra Brahambhatt,
Interesting Engineering,
15 Mar. 2026
-
Last year, the county sued NaphCare for its alleged role in the death of Brandon Yates, who was murdered in the Central Jail in 2024 after being wrongly placed into a cell with a violent offender.—
Kelly Davis,
San Diego Union-Tribune,
15 Mar. 2026
Adverb
-
Should physical shortages emerge, Dhar said prices may have to rise sharply to curb demand, particularly in developing economies.—
Lee Ying Shan,
CNBC,
12 Mar. 2026
-
This promotion comes as gas prices have risen sharply following the start of the war with Iran.—
Charles Singh,
USA Today,
12 Mar. 2026
Adjective
-
Anyone who has defied the regime before has risked their life to do so, and – despite being at the mercy of the most ferocious military machine on the face of the planet – the regime might yet survive.—
Don Riddell,
CNN Money,
12 Mar. 2026
-
American Nathan Martin, a 36-year-old high school cross-country coach from Jackson, Michigan, ran 2 hours, 11 minutes and 16 seconds (five minutes per mile) to claim victory with a ferocious kick that came down to his final stride.—
John Davis,
Daily News,
8 Mar. 2026
Adverb
-
Earlier this month, Florida International University in Miami launched an investigation into a group chat started by an official with the Miami-Dade chapter of the Republican Party that included violently racist slurs, antisemitic comments and misogynistic language.—
ABC News,
ABC News,
16 Mar. 2026
-
As the ride ended, the male suspect, sitting in the backseat behind the driver, pulled out a knife and began violently stabbing the driver in the neck and the back of the head without warning.—
Frederick Sutton Sinclair,
CBS News,
15 Mar. 2026
Adjective
-
The steep fee, enacted in 2015 due to surging demand among American expatriates seeking to avoid new tax reporting requirements, faced fierce opposition.—
Matthew Lee,
Los Angeles Times,
15 Mar. 2026
-
No single line embodies both the overflowing kindness and fierce competence of small-town Brainerd's chief of police, Marge Gunderson.—
Darren Franich,
Entertainment Weekly,
15 Mar. 2026
Adverb
-
Gaining rare access to vibrant young people brimming with energy and doubt, uncertain if tomorrow even exists, the filmmaker reveals how living fiercely in the moment becomes a primal defense.—
Matthew Carey,
Deadline,
15 Mar. 2026
-
Is next week going to be bedside scenes without his wife, who was fiercely devoted since the two met as producers at ABC News and by his side 24/7?—
Lisa DePaulo,
HollywoodReporter,
13 Mar. 2026
Adjective
-
Hensley made 23 saves and the Frost held off a furious rally from the New York Sirens to win 4-3 in front of 15,512 fans — another statement of intent for this city and its hope to land a professional women’s hockey team in the near future.—
Corey Masisak,
Denver Post,
16 Mar. 2026
-
The triple gave the Mavericks a 20-point lead in the fourth quarter and sent fans at Rocket Arena into a furious rage.—
Mike Curtis,
Dallas Morning News,
15 Mar. 2026
Adverb
-
Israel, which was founded in the aftermath of the Holocaust, has vehemently denied the accusations.—
MOLLY QUELL THE ASSOCIATED PRESS,
Arkansas Online,
13 Mar. 2026
-
Israel, which was founded in the aftermath of the Holocaust, has vehemently denied the allegations.—
Molly Quell,
Los Angeles Times,
12 Mar. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Hammer-and-tongs.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/hammer-and-tongs. Accessed 18 Mar. 2026.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
