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

Cox, whose home overlooks the scenic drive, said she's seen several violent crashes along the road.

— Laurie Perez, CBS News, 14 Aug. 2026
In an unusual move just a few months before the midterm elections as many Republicans continue to tout the drop in crime, the FBI report also noted that violent and other crime has continued to drop during the first six months of 2026.

— ABC News, ABC News, 14 Aug. 2026

Definition of violent

Adverb

It’s been swinging sharply recently and pinballed between $72 and $102 last month as hopes rose and fell that a deal in the war could allow oil tankers to freely exit the Middle East again and deliver crude worldwide.

— Stan Choe, Chicago Tribune, 13 Aug. 2026
Clashes escalated sharply in February when Afghan forces launched a raid into Pakistan in retaliation for Pakistani airstrikes inside Afghanistan.

— ABC News, ABC News, 12 Aug. 2026

Definition of sharply

Adjective

Many EVs can deliver incredible stats—ferocious acceleration is their calling card—but not all deliver a holistic driving experience like the best German sedans of the past 40 or 50 years.

— Mark Ewing, Forbes.com, 6 Aug. 2026
To the world, McRae is a strong, fearless entertainer, a triple threat who can pen songs that recall the fizzy pop of the early aughts and bring them to life as a ferocious singer and dancer.

— Steven J. Horowitz, Variety, 3 Aug. 2026

Definition of ferocious

Adverb

The scene in question is — spoiler alert — the flashback scene in which Nile Jarvis’ (Matthew Rhys) wife, Madison (Leila George), is violently killed.

— Beatrice Verhoeven, HollywoodReporter, 15 Aug. 2026
The victim, a 15-year-old female, was home with her 5-year-old and 7-year-old family members when Reyes violently made entry into the residence after breaking a hole in the wall between the apartments.

— CBS News, CBS News, 13 Aug. 2026

Definition of violently

Adjective

Ocasio-Cortez’s choice to share her egg-freezing publicly has kicked off furious debate and confused hand-wringing among conservatives.

— Anna Russell, New Yorker, 14 Aug. 2026
One man was quick enough to grab his ankle and let out a firm objection, but the foot slipped free from the boot and the houndsman was gone into the tight tunnel full of frantic dogs and furious bear.

— Paul Schullery, Outdoor Life, 13 Aug. 2026

Definition of furious

Adverb

The Jackson estate has vehemently denied the siblings’ claims.

— Nancy Dillon, Rolling Stone, 13 Aug. 2026
But the closures and layoffs are vehemently opposed by the state of Lower Saxony, which owns 20 percent of VW Group, as well as the unions, which hold half of the seats on VW Group’s supervisory board.

— Jonathan M. Gitlin, ArsTechnica, 7 Aug. 2026

Definition of vehemently

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hammer-and-tongs

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 16 Aug. 2026.

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Synonyms of hammer-and-tongs

adjective

adverb

Example Sentences

Browse Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

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