sledgehammer 1 of 3

noun

Definition of sledgehammernext
as in mallet
a large, heavy hammer with a long handle broke up the concrete using a sledgehammer

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sledgehammer

2 of 3

adjective

as in heavy-handed

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Dissimilar Words

sledgehammer

3 of 3

verb

as in to cane

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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 sledgehammer
Noun
He was likely hit about a month before, the vet said, with a blunt object such as a sledgehammer. — Sandra McDonald, Los Angeles Times, 15 Sep. 2026 Five offenders entered a Green Oaks business early Wednesday and used crowbars and sledgehammers to break into gaming machines, according to the Lake County Sheriff’s Office. — Clifford Ward, Chicago Tribune, 11 Sep. 2026
Adjective
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
Verb
Under cover of darkness, a squad of SEALs enters a two-story apartment building, slips upstairs, and sledgehammers its way through a wall, awakening a family on the other side. — Justin Chang, New Yorker, 4 Apr. 2025 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 See All Example Sentences for sledgehammer
Recent Examples of Synonyms for sledgehammer
  1. mallet
  2. heavy-handed
  3. cane
  4. hammer
  5. jackbooted
  6. stab
  7. baton
  8. oppressive
Noun
  • Then Kreiz took the mallet and landed a cannon-shot ring on the bell that was so loud that one of the Citadel traders turned around in shock, and even Wall Street veteran Gerry Cardinale’s eyebrows were raised.
    — Mia Galuppo, HollywoodReporter, 12 Oct. 2026
  • The ceremony spanned the familiar marble balcony as the market opened and proceeded to a floor-level bell struck with a mallet.
    — Dade Hayes, Deadline, 8 Oct. 2026
Definition of mallet
Adjective
  • Portugal hasn’t seen the scale of violence, arson and looting witnessed in some other European countries, although protesters have complained about heavy-handed policing during the removal of tents erected in city squares.
    — ABC News, ABC News, 27 Oct. 2026
  • Trump’s heavy-handed support for the Bolsonaros played into that message.
    — Isabel Debre, Los Angeles Times, 26 Oct. 2026
Definition of heavy-handed
Verb
  • Singapore’s education minister has confirmed that teachers are allowed to use caning to discipline unruly students in certain cases.
    — Jack Guy, CNN Money, 6 May 2026
  • In 1994, American teenager Michael Fay was caned at a Singaporean prison for vandalism, a day after his sentence was reduced from six lashes to four in response to an appeal by President Bill Clinton.
    — Chicago Tribune, Chicago Tribune, 5 May 2026
Definition of cane
Noun
  • Peters has acknowledged using hard drugs and smashing the bones of his face with a hammer to maximize his looks.
    — Tracy Brown, Los Angeles Times, 22 Oct. 2026
  • The 911 caller told police that their schizophrenic son had struck her 69-year-old husband on the head with a hammer.
    — WCCO Staff, CBS News, 21 Oct. 2026
Definition of hammer
Adjective
  • Karol let those lines here serve as her brief indictment of the present, jackbooted environment around immigration and repression in the United States.
    — Mikael Wood, Los Angeles Times, 13 Apr. 2026
  • Hungary under his rule is far from a jackbooted dictatorship, but its democracy is diverging markedly from that of many of its partners in the European Union.
    — Ishaan Tharoor, Washington Post, 6 Apr. 2018
Definition of jackbooted
Verb
  • Last month, a Sikh truck driver was stabbed 17 times at a Wyoming rest stop.
    — Raja Krishnamoorthi, Chicago Tribune, 28 Oct. 2026
  • An East Bay man accused of fatally stabbing his wife earlier this month was out on bail in a domestic violence case, prosecutors said.
    — Tim Fang, CBS News, 28 Oct. 2026
Definition of stab
Noun
  • Queen Sofía is understood never to have loaned pieces from the collection to other family members before, making Leonor’s choice an especially meaningful passing of the sartorial baton.
    — Anna Cafolla, Vogue, 28 Oct. 2026
  • Outgoing Cook County Assessor Fritz Kaegi used his final county budget hearing Tuesday to defend his record, tout his accomplishments and call for his replacement to pick up the baton on several unresolved reforms.
    — A.D. Quig, Chicago Tribune, 27 Oct. 2026
Definition of baton
Adjective
  • The citizens group hoping to reform Connecticut’s oppressive property tax system will release its recommendations Monday, hoping to force candidates for state offices to take positions during the final push toward Election Day.
    — Keith M. Phaneuf, Hartford Courant, 22 Oct. 2026
  • If Chrissie represents someone who opts into the ruling system, Paul’s character shows that there are choices even within this world’s oppressive parameters.
    — Natasha O'Neill, Vanity Fair, 22 Oct. 2026
Definition of oppressive

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Cite this Entry

“Sledgehammer.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/sledgehammer. Accessed 3 Nov. 2026.

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