as in mallet
a large, heavy hammer with a long handle
broke up the concrete using a sledgehammer
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as in heavy-handed
Related Words
Dissimilar Words
as in to cane
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Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of sledgehammer
Bethany Rodgers, The Salt Lake Tribune, 27 Sep. 2021
The Academy Award winner quickly turned into a sledgehammer pro, getting involved in breaking through walls and ripping out fixtures.
—Vanessa Etienne, PEOPLE.com, 9 July 2021
Christian Clark, NOLA.com, 24 Nov. 2020
The suit stemmed from a May 10, 2019, incident in which police sledgehammered the front gate of his Outer Richmond home, held him in handcuffs for hours and seized his phone, computers and other equipment.
—Megan Cassidy, SFChronicle.com, 31 Mar. 2020
Jp Mangalindan, Time, 9 Oct. 2025
Also for a small fee, guests can use a wooden sledgehammer to smash a pumpkin and feed the pieces to three cows and a couple of pigs, all eager for the treats.
—Regina Elling, San Diego Union-Tribune, 7 Oct. 2025
See All Example Sentences for sledgehammer
Noun
And Sundwall said that, in retrospect, state health officials took a sledgehammer approach to mitigating the pandemic, such as school closings in 2020, when the state could have taken a more surgical tack.
—Bethany Rodgers, The Salt Lake Tribune, 27 Sep. 2021
The Academy Award winner quickly turned into a sledgehammer pro, getting involved in breaking through walls and ripping out fixtures.
—Vanessa Etienne, PEOPLE.com, 9 July 2021
Adjective
The move means the 7-foot Kiwi will be under contract for the next three seasons and signals that at a time when the game is becoming increasingly perimeter-oriented, the Pelicans will try to sledgehammer their way to wins.
—Christian Clark, NOLA.com, 24 Nov. 2020
The suit stemmed from a May 10, 2019, incident in which police sledgehammered the front gate of his Outer Richmond home, held him in handcuffs for hours and seized his phone, computers and other equipment.
—Megan Cassidy, SFChronicle.com, 31 Mar. 2020
Verb
Eighteen years old and 13 pounds too light to join the Marines, the wiry, wide-eyed teen watched his recruiter zip through the aisles, grabbing a roll of tape, a sledgehammer, and a length of lead pipe.
—Jp Mangalindan, Time, 9 Oct. 2025
Also for a small fee, guests can use a wooden sledgehammer to smash a pumpkin and feed the pieces to three cows and a couple of pigs, all eager for the treats.
—Regina Elling, San Diego Union-Tribune, 7 Oct. 2025
See All Example Sentences for sledgehammer
Recent Examples of Synonyms for sledgehammer
Noun
-
Crush into fine crumbs with a rolling pin or meat mallet.—
Ann Taylor Pittman,
Southern Living,
18 Oct. 2025
-
That final phase of gravitational wave emission is known as the ringdown phase because of its similarity to what happens to a bell when it’s struck with a mallet, clapper, or a jacquemart.—
Ethan Siegel,
Big Think,
17 Sep. 2025
Adjective
-
While political violence decreased, his heavy-handed rule papered over France’s wounds without healing them.—
Time,
Time,
21 Oct. 2025
-
The president’s breakthrough announcement is a strong step forward for patients, and a welcome contrast to the Biden administration’s heavy-handed approach that threatened the innovation that generates new cures.—
Bobby Jindal,
MSNBC Newsweek,
10 Oct. 2025
Verb
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Visuals also showed some people receiving CPR. Uncontrollable crowd Police started caning people at one gate, leading to more chaos, said Mithun Singh, a software engineer among the crowd.—
USA Today,
USA Today,
5 June 2025
-
Both failed to fire, and the hero of the Battle of New Orleans, with a hair-trigger temper, began caning the would-be assassin.—
Barbara A. Perry,
MSNBC Newsweek,
18 Apr. 2025
Noun
-
But throughout the course of the film, Morgan takes a hammer to it all, trying to reinvent this space into something more her.—
Richard Lawson,
HollywoodReporter,
22 Oct. 2025
-
The city doesn’t need a hammer, but a scalpel.—
The Editorial Board,
Oc Register,
22 Oct. 2025
Adjective
-
Cooper was obsessed with the New World Order and the actions of jackbooted government enforcers against the Branch Davidians in Waco, Texas, and white separatist Randy Weaver at Ruby Ridge, Idaho.—
Andrew Stuttaford,
WSJ,
19 Sep. 2018
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Likethumb_up Replyreply Linklink Copy Reportflag eraley 22 minutes ago Trump’s America and his jackbooted thugs.—
Marwa Eltagouri,
Washington Post,
28 May 2018
Verb
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The man accused of fatally stabbing a 23-year-old Ukrainian refugee on a commuter train in Charlotte, North Carolina, has been indicted by a federal grand jury on a charge that could result in the death penalty, court records show.—
Thao Nguyen,
USA Today,
24 Oct. 2025
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Mechanic Paolo Mainardi and dressmaker Antonella Migliorini were found shot and stabbed the following June.—
Emily Blackwood,
PEOPLE,
24 Oct. 2025
Noun
-
Up-and-comer status gifted el Khaleel’s group, Mantronix, with the glory of a four-hundred-dollar gig at the rec center, home to youth basketball games, baton-twirling competitions, after-school child care, and — on occasion — community concerts.—
Jeff Pearlman,
Rolling Stone,
17 Oct. 2025
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Iger, who had passed the CEO baton in early 2020 and wrapped his affiliation with Disney at the end of 2021, ended up being asked to return to the corner office by the board amid flagging confidence in Chapek.—
Dade Hayes,
Deadline,
16 Oct. 2025
Adjective
-
After a summer of oppressive heat, October is when New York City hits its stride.—
Nicole Kliest,
Vogue,
18 Oct. 2025
-
Raducanu had her blood pressure taken during the match, which was played in oppressive heat and humidity, before retiring down 6-1, 4-1.—
Charlie Eccleshare,
New York Times,
16 Oct. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Sledgehammer.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/sledgehammer. Accessed 26 Oct. 2025.
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