as in mallet
a large, heavy hammer with a long handle
broke up the concrete using a sledgehammer
Related Words
Relevance
as in heavy-handed
Related Words
Dissimilar Words
as in to cane
Related 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 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
Phillip Molnar, San Diego Union-Tribune, 26 Sep. 2025
Think scalpel rather than sledgehammer.
—The Editorial Board, Oc Register, 24 Sep. 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
Senate Bill 79 is a statewide sledgehammer.
—Phillip Molnar, San Diego Union-Tribune, 26 Sep. 2025
Think scalpel rather than sledgehammer.
—The Editorial Board, Oc Register, 24 Sep. 2025
See All Example Sentences for sledgehammer
Recent Examples of Synonyms for sledgehammer
Noun
-
Place remaining 30 cookies in the zip-top plastic bag and seal; roughly crush cookies with meat mallet or heavy skillet until coarsely crushed and evenly sized (smaller than before).—
Kimberly Holland,
Southern Living,
27 Sep. 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
-
The sequence is pure spectacle, but amidst the heavy-handed metaphor, there's a timely commentary about the risks of relying on this type of technology at all.—
Elisabeth Sherman,
Parents,
7 Oct. 2025
-
If the script is a tad heavy-handed in making Clara seem almost indifferent to her mother’s suffering, Touzani is too generous a director not to allow the character some redeeming displays of conscience before the domestic drama plays out.—
David Rooney,
HollywoodReporter,
3 Oct. 2025
Verb
-
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
-
The historic event is held on the first Saturday in September every year at The Princess Royal and Duke of Fife Memorial Park, and participants engage in traditional Highland Games events like hammer throwing and tug-of-war.—
Lydia Mansel,
Travel + Leisure,
4 Oct. 2025
-
Besides the gun and a total of 27 rounds of ammunition, Roske had pepper spray, zip ties, a hammer, screwdrivers, duct tape, lock-pick tools and other items.—
Bart Jansen,
USA Today,
3 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
-
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
-
The admission came the day after two Jewish worshipers were killed and three others seriously injured in a car ramming and stabbing attack outside the Heaton Park Hebrew Congregation Synagogue in the Manchester suburb of Crumpsall on Yom Kippur, the holiest day in Judaism.—
Peter Wilkinson,
CNN Money,
3 Oct. 2025
-
One of the victims had been stabbed several times in the head and was taken to a hospital for treatment, police said.—
Harriet Ramos,
Fort Worth Star-Telegram,
2 Oct. 2025
Noun
-
After Bad Bunny kicks off Season 51, SNL will pass the baton to host Amy Poehler with musical guest Role Model, followed by Sabrina Carpenter‘s double-duty takeover as both host and musical guest.—
Larisha Paul,
Rolling Stone,
1 Oct. 2025
-
Which is why Marant and Bekker are on a Zoom call one recent morning to chat about the passing of the baton.—
Mark Holgate,
Vogue,
1 Oct. 2025
Adjective
-
Global organization Human Rights Watch accused the festival of diverting attention away from allegations of the government’s severe repression of free speech and criticized comedians for performing on the behest of an oppressive regime.—
Anthony Robledo,
USA Today,
4 Oct. 2025
-
The oppressive rule has led to nations cutting off aid, leading to one of the world’s worst humanitarian crises.—
Reed Albergotti,
semafor.com,
3 Oct. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Sledgehammer.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/sledgehammer. Accessed 8 Oct. 2025.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
Share