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
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Dissimilar Words
as in to cane
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Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of sledgehammer
Charles Bethea, New Yorker, 30 Mar. 2026
Three thieves used sledgehammers to perform a smash-and-grab at a popular Sherman Oaks mall on Wednesday evening, stealing jewelry and watches before fleeing the scene, authorities said.
—Clara Harter, Los Angeles Times, 26 Mar. 2026
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
See All Example Sentences for sledgehammer
Noun
Eckert instructed the dads and sons to run a few hundred yards with kettlebells, sledgehammers, and sandbags, then to smash open the sandbags.
—Charles Bethea, New Yorker, 30 Mar. 2026
Three thieves used sledgehammers to perform a smash-and-grab at a popular Sherman Oaks mall on Wednesday evening, stealing jewelry and watches before fleeing the scene, authorities said.
—Clara Harter, Los Angeles Times, 26 Mar. 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
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
See All Example Sentences for sledgehammer
Recent Examples of Synonyms for sledgehammer
Noun
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Using the flat side of a meat mallet or a rolling pin, pound pork to a ¼- to ½-inch thickness.—
Wini Moranville,
Better Homes & Gardens,
11 Apr. 2026
-
Requires a hammer, mallet or rolling pin.—
Reia Li,
AZCentral.com,
22 Mar. 2026
Adjective
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Adding heavy-handed immigration to a mix of [the Jeffrey] Epstein files, war, inflation, and gas prices creates a toxic situation.—
Dan Gooding,
MSNBC Newsweek,
30 Mar. 2026
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But several lawmakers on the committee expressed interest in taking a less-heavy-handed approach to the drug, which is sold in gas stations and smoke shops.—
Angela Palermo,
Idaho Statesman,
20 Mar. 2026
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
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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
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As part of the project, the Corps would need to blast and hammer ocean bottom to deepen the channel by 10 feet and nearly double its length.—
Jenny Staletovich,
Sun Sentinel,
16 Apr. 2026
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Peters, in particular, is known for such extreme tactics as hitting himself in the face with a hammer so his bones grow back sharper and taking small amounts of methamphetamine to suppress his appetite.—
Taijuan Moorman,
USA Today,
15 Apr. 2026
Adjective
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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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Deborah Kennedy, 40, was found stabbed to death inside her Southfield home on the 24000 Block of Lee Baker.—
Veronica Ortega,
CBS News,
14 Apr. 2026
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But Fahim forced himself into the bathroom and killed Bahm, also stabbing him more than 40 times.—
Sean Emery,
Oc Register,
14 Apr. 2026
Noun
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After the Executive Office of Health and Human Services ordered the removal of tools like pepper gel, handcuffs and batons from the toolbelts of the Tewksbury Security Team specialists at the hospital, officials in Tewksbury were stunned, and immediately sought answers from the state.—
Peter Currier,
Boston Herald,
12 Apr. 2026
-
The baton has been waiting long enough.—
Felecia Hatcher,
Fortune,
7 Apr. 2026
Adjective
-
The early heat wave comes less than a month after oppressive heat choked much of the western United States.—
Denise Chow,
NBC news,
14 Apr. 2026
-
Based on Margaret Atwood’s 2019 novel, the sequel series returns to the oppressive, patriarchal society, this time through the lens of teenagers Agnes (Chase Infiniti) and Daisy (Lucy Halliday).—
Rebecca Aizin,
PEOPLE,
10 Apr. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Sledgehammer.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/sledgehammer. Accessed 18 Apr. 2026.
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