as in mallets
a large, heavy hammer with a long handle
broke up the concrete using a sledgehammer
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Recent Examples of sledgehammers
Tom Dougherty, CBS News, 19 Feb. 2026
And one night, a bunch of the editors of The Dartmouth Review descended on the shantytown protests and, with sledgehammers, slammed them down.
—David Frum, The Atlantic, 28 Jan. 2026
Officers used sledgehammers to break through and pull them free.
—Jp Mangalindan, Time, 16 Jan. 2026
Halfbacks no longer wear oversized shoulder pads that signal their utility as sledgehammers.
—Mike Sando, New York Times, 10 Nov. 2025
Three years later, thieves, armed with sledgehammers, stole it in an audacious five-minute heist from Blenheim Palace, Winston Churchill’s historic birthplace in the English countryside.
—Jacqui Palumbo, CNN Money, 31 Oct. 2025
Other times, the group used sledgehammers to smash cases of jewelry or other valuables in consignment stores.
—Nate Gartrell, Mercury News, 26 Sep. 2025
Noun
Investigators allege the men used sledgehammers to break the store's front door, steal almost $11,000 worth of merchandise and then use a U-Haul pickup truck to escape.
—Tom Dougherty, CBS News, 19 Feb. 2026
And one night, a bunch of the editors of The Dartmouth Review descended on the shantytown protests and, with sledgehammers, slammed them down.
—David Frum, The Atlantic, 28 Jan. 2026
Officers used sledgehammers to break through and pull them free.
—Jp Mangalindan, Time, 16 Jan. 2026
Halfbacks no longer wear oversized shoulder pads that signal their utility as sledgehammers.
—Mike Sando, New York Times, 10 Nov. 2025
Three years later, thieves, armed with sledgehammers, stole it in an audacious five-minute heist from Blenheim Palace, Winston Churchill’s historic birthplace in the English countryside.
—Jacqui Palumbo, CNN Money, 31 Oct. 2025
Other times, the group used sledgehammers to smash cases of jewelry or other valuables in consignment stores.
—Nate Gartrell, Mercury News, 26 Sep. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for sledgehammers
Noun
-
According to those reports, during her arrest in December, she was beaten repeatedly with wooden sticks and batons and dragged across the ground by her hair, sustaining injuries that left open wounds on her head.—
Jomana Karadsheh,
CNN Money,
11 Feb. 2026
-
Federal officers wielded batons and deployed flash-bang devices against the crowd.—
Jack Brook,
Los Angeles Times,
24 Jan. 2026
Verb
-
These are in addition to private members clubs The Wilde and Cipriani, among other highlights.—
Luisa Zargani,
Footwear News,
16 Jan. 2026
-
Shane Stant clubs Kerrigan on the knee and flees the scene.—
Assistant Sports Editor,
Los Angeles Times,
6 Jan. 2026
Noun
-
Some guests will be elderly with walkers and canes.—
Kailyn Brown,
Los Angeles Times,
9 Feb. 2026
-
Grape vines are the most productive when they're pruned back to about 10 to 12 canes with just 4 to 5 buds each.—
Lauren Landers,
Better Homes & Gardens,
4 Feb. 2026
Verb
-
Bautista stabs and shoots his assailants in an operatic eruption of violence that is done in a single, extended shot.—
Brent Lang,
Variety,
5 Feb. 2026
-
Milo tries to be a hero, trying to use pepper spray on Morgan, but Morgan stabs and kills him.—
Barry Levitt,
Time,
21 Jan. 2026
Verb
-
When a dog repeatedly wags and whips its tail against hard surfaces, the tip can split open, bruise or break.—
Miriam Fauzia,
Dallas Morning News,
21 Jan. 2026
-
Benbrook whips Diamond Hill-Jarvis Benbrook stayed on pace for a playoff berth in District 8-4A as the Lady Bobcats thumped Fort Worth Diamond Hill-Jarvis 55-7.—
Darren Lauber,
Fort Worth Star-Telegram,
21 Jan. 2026
Verb
-
Premiums are poised to rise next year as the party flails on whether to extend enhanced Affordable Care Act subsidies.—
Burgess Everett,
semafor.com,
16 Dec. 2025
-
The 16-year-old flails her arms, thrashes and kicks — sometimes for hours.—
CalMatters,
Oc Register,
5 Dec. 2025
Verb
-
The old formula not only fails to reflect how much Argentine households spend on present-day staples like Netflix subscriptions and iPhones, experts say, but also underrepresents the costs of public services like health care and electricity that have skyrocketed as Milei slashes subsidies.—
Isabel Debre,
Fortune,
11 Feb. 2026
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Work rules are the largest driver of coverage losses in the GOP budget law, which slashes nearly $1 trillion to offset the costs of tax breaks that mainly benefit the rich and increase border security, critics say.—
Samantha Liss,
CBS News,
11 Feb. 2026
Verb
-
But hamate surgery often saps a hitter of power, something Lindor, Carroll and Holliday were expected to supply in 2026.—
Andy McCullough,
New York Times,
12 Feb. 2026
-
An overreliance on tools weakens our civilization (and saps the film’s dramatic thrills).—
Amy Nicholson,
Los Angeles Times,
9 Jan. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Sledgehammers.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/sledgehammers. Accessed 21 Feb. 2026.
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