as in grinding (out)
to produce or bring about especially by long or repeated effort
the city council hammered out new commercial development regulations with input from residents, business owners, and environmental activists
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
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 hammering out
Pritzker needs to take a hands-on approach, gathering all the stakeholders well in advance of the November veto session and hammering out a workable regimen, to ensure lawmakers have something on which to vote.
—
The Editorial Board,
Chicago Tribune,
12 June 2026
Stocks fell sharply early in Thursday's session, but steadily clawed their way back as investors appeared to take heart from news reports that Iran and Oman are hammering out a plan to oversee traffic in the Strait of Hormuz.
—
Aimee Picchi,
CBS News,
2 Apr. 2026
Aponte’s predecessor Kevin Abrams was the Giants‘ salary cap lead in previous years, most memorably hammering out the early versions of Daniel Jones’ contract extension in the lobby of the JW Marriott here in March 2023.
—
Pat Leonard,
New York Daily News,
26 Feb. 2026
Artificial intelligence, real money When actors and studios arrived at the bargaining table this week to start hammering out the next SAG-AFTRA contract, a key figure in the conversation was not in the room.
—
Rebecca Keegan,
NBC news,
13 Feb. 2026
The statement said that Patagonia and Pattie Gonia—who uses female pronouns—spent several years hammering out an agreement over the activist’s use of the brand’s name.
—
Frederick Dreier,
Outside,
23 Jan. 2026
Following Witkoff and Kushner’s visit to the Kremlin in early December, a flurry of high-level diplomacy involving Zelensky and European leaders ensued, with much talk about hammering out the finer points of a potential agreement.
—
Nathan Hodge,
CNN Money,
31 Dec. 2025
Lawmakers have gone home for the holidays without hammering out a resolution to address the expiring ObamaCare subsidies as tensions flare amid health care negotiations.
—
The Hill Staff,
The Hill,
22 Dec. 2025
Similarly, structured equity entails hammering out a capital solution specific to each company; there is no formulaic approach.
—
Mike Terwilliger,
Fortune,
24 Oct. 2025
The Editorial Board,
Chicago Tribune,
12 June 2026
Stocks fell sharply early in Thursday's session, but steadily clawed their way back as investors appeared to take heart from news reports that Iran and Oman are hammering out a plan to oversee traffic in the Strait of Hormuz.
—
Aimee Picchi,
CBS News,
2 Apr. 2026
Aponte’s predecessor Kevin Abrams was the Giants‘ salary cap lead in previous years, most memorably hammering out the early versions of Daniel Jones’ contract extension in the lobby of the JW Marriott here in March 2023.
—
Pat Leonard,
New York Daily News,
26 Feb. 2026
Artificial intelligence, real money When actors and studios arrived at the bargaining table this week to start hammering out the next SAG-AFTRA contract, a key figure in the conversation was not in the room.
—
Rebecca Keegan,
NBC news,
13 Feb. 2026
The statement said that Patagonia and Pattie Gonia—who uses female pronouns—spent several years hammering out an agreement over the activist’s use of the brand’s name.
—
Frederick Dreier,
Outside,
23 Jan. 2026
Following Witkoff and Kushner’s visit to the Kremlin in early December, a flurry of high-level diplomacy involving Zelensky and European leaders ensued, with much talk about hammering out the finer points of a potential agreement.
—
Nathan Hodge,
CNN Money,
31 Dec. 2025
Lawmakers have gone home for the holidays without hammering out a resolution to address the expiring ObamaCare subsidies as tensions flare amid health care negotiations.
—
The Hill Staff,
The Hill,
22 Dec. 2025
Similarly, structured equity entails hammering out a capital solution specific to each company; there is no formulaic approach.
—
Mike Terwilliger,
Fortune,
24 Oct. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for hammering out
Verb
-
He was also accused of fabricating personal credit-card reimbursements and forging fake receipts, Bonta said.
-
The actors spent time forging the kind of intimate charge that could be felt in wordless glances between their closeted characters.
Verb
-
The agreement imposed limits on Iran's nuclear program to prevent it from developing nuclear weapons.
-
Rodriguez has been developing the concept for more than a decade, based on drawings and stories created with and for his children.
Verb
-
While working up the nerve to kill her, Loftis discovers that Ruth is secretly the mother of his late wife Lauren (Meredith Casey), making his son Evan (Kingston Rumi Southwick) the final descendant.
-
The other two are still working up to it, but the team isn't going anywhere.
Verb
-
Antiques mix with more contemporary wallpapers and fabrics, creating a comfortably eclectic vibe.
-
Some of the smoke may stay higher in the sky, creating a milky or hazy appearance.
Verb
-
Recent evidence suggests more retirees are working out of necessity.
-
Business Insider reports that the White House and Anthropic are now working out a framework to grade how severe a security flaw in a new model is, and to decide when a flaw warrants stepping in.
Cite this Entry
“Hammering out.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/hammering%20out. Accessed 26 Jun. 2026.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
