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

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

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 shootings come amid a much wider problem with violent crime.

— Nimi Princewill, CNN Money, 23 Sep. 2026
Authorities served the search warrant after identifying Saeturn as a suspect in an investigation into violent online threats against a church, though police did not identify the place of worship.

— Madison Smalstig, Sacbee.com, 23 Sep. 2026

Definition of violent

Adverb

Research into psychedelics for depression, PTSD, end-of-life care, and anxiety has exploded, and overall recreational usage has risen sharply.

— Claire Hoffman, Rolling Stone, 21 Sep. 2026
While the national average cost of regular gasoline has risen sharply over the past week, California prices have surpassed $6 per gallon, according to AAA.

— Sacbee.com, Sacbee.com, 21 Sep. 2026

Definition of sharply

Adjective

The prosecutors quietly overcame ferocious resistance within their office to pursuing the first indictment of Diamantis, in 2024.

— Kevin Rennie, Hartford Courant, 19 Sep. 2026
Young is coming off a ferocious couple of live years, first with Crazy Horse and then with the Chrome Hearts.

— Rob Sheffield, Rolling Stone, 17 Sep. 2026

Definition of ferocious

Adverb

The jury that last summer found Weinstein guilty of violently assaulting Haley inside his SoHo loft in 2006 reached the same conclusion as the initial set of jurors who heard allegations against him at his landmark #MeToo trial in 2020.

— Molly Crane-Newman, New York Daily News, 23 Sep. 2026
Across the rugged landscape that has made Yemen famed for its beauty, videos of the fighting over the last few days showed men dying violently on craggy mountains and on barren desert flats.

— Kareem Fahim, New Yorker, 19 Sep. 2026

Definition of violently

Adjective

Given the fierce competition to attract international productions, does SETT also represent a shift from attracting productions to supporting globally competitive Spanish companies that own intellectual property and can export it to the world?

— John Hopewell, Variety, 19 Sep. 2026
In Season 3, David’s transformation from outcast shepherd to fierce warrior to chosen King is finally complete.

— Denise Petski, Deadline, 18 Sep. 2026

Definition of fierce

Adverb

By the end of the 2020s, Combs will set foot back inside his palatial $48 million Miami waterfront home, warmly welcomed into the arms of those who have remained fiercely loyal to him.

— Nancy Dillon, Rolling Stone, 21 Sep. 2026
But over the years, Bird of the Year has also become known for its fiercely competitive campaigns, tongue-in-cheek rivalries and occasional controversy.

— Adam Pourahmadi, CNN Money, 21 Sep. 2026

Definition of fiercely

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

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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 25 Sep. 2026.

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Synonyms of hammer-and-tongs

adjective

adverb

Example Sentences

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