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
Nick Ferraro, Twin Cities, 28 May 2026
Hailstones crash through glass like sledgehammers.
—Kansas City Star, 22 May 2026
Thieves armed with sledgehammers left a South Loop business damaged, all while targeting slot machines and an ATM.
—Jermont Terry, CBS News, 29 Apr. 2026
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
Ridglan Farms said in a press release that activists attempted to enter several buildings using sledgehammers, electric saws and crowbars.
—Quinn Clark, jsonline.com, 16 Mar. 2026
Wearing hooded sweatshirts and full-face masks, the robbers ordered employees to one part of the room at gunpoint before two of them smashed the glass display cases with sledgehammers, The Charlotte Observer previously reported.
—Nick Sullivan
march 7, Charlotte Observer, 7 Mar. 2026
Other sufferers, however, who submitted entries to the 1983 Migraine Art Competition, depicted their pain in drawings and paintings of nails, needles, axes, ice picks, arrows, bolts, jaws, chisels, shivs, guns, red-hot spears, sledgehammers, devils, and long pins.
—Literary Hub, 24 Feb. 2026
Noun
The men found information on target businesses and used pry bars and sledgehammers to break into buildings and open safes that stored pull-tab proceeds, the complaint states.
—Nick Ferraro, Twin Cities, 28 May 2026
Hailstones crash through glass like sledgehammers.
—Kansas City Star, 22 May 2026
Thieves armed with sledgehammers left a South Loop business damaged, all while targeting slot machines and an ATM.
—Jermont Terry, CBS News, 29 Apr. 2026
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
Ridglan Farms said in a press release that activists attempted to enter several buildings using sledgehammers, electric saws and crowbars.
—Quinn Clark, jsonline.com, 16 Mar. 2026
Wearing hooded sweatshirts and full-face masks, the robbers ordered employees to one part of the room at gunpoint before two of them smashed the glass display cases with sledgehammers, The Charlotte Observer previously reported.
—Nick Sullivan
march 7, Charlotte Observer, 7 Mar. 2026
Other sufferers, however, who submitted entries to the 1983 Migraine Art Competition, depicted their pain in drawings and paintings of nails, needles, axes, ice picks, arrows, bolts, jaws, chisels, shivs, guns, red-hot spears, sledgehammers, devils, and long pins.
—Literary Hub, 24 Feb. 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for sledgehammers
Noun
-
Ahead of the endorsement vote, Klobuchar supporters holding batons with flashing green lights dominated the convention floor.—
Alex Derosier,
Twin Cities,
30 May 2026
-
Some used their batons to beat and push back protesters as the officers attempted to clear the roadway for vehicles.—
ABC News,
ABC News,
28 May 2026
Verb
-
Their top-30 visits, where NFL clubs host prospects at their facilities to gather further intel, are often smokescreens.—
Luca Evans,
Denver Post,
19 Apr. 2026
-
These are in addition to private members clubs The Wilde and Cipriani, among other highlights.—
Luisa Zargani,
Footwear News,
16 Jan. 2026
Noun
-
The edible fruit can be used to make jelly, but watch for thorns on the shrub’s canes.—
Steve Bender,
Southern Living,
27 May 2026
-
More to Explore Many of the human props—canes, top hats, desks—used in primate taxidermy became unfashionable in the first half of the nineteenth century, but there were still throwbacks.—
Matthew Wills,
JSTOR Daily,
18 May 2026
Verb
-
His right-hand man, Bishop, pulls an Iago on him and stabs him in the back by emptying his bullets.—
Ethan Shanfeld,
Variety,
1 June 2026
-
The shower curtain opens, revealing an old woman, who stabs and decapitates Mary.—
Therie Hendrey-Seabrook,
Encyclopedia Britannica,
18 Mar. 2026
Verb
-
In the fourth minute, Meschack Elia whips a ball across the box to Bakambu, eight yards from goal.—
Franklin Leonard,
Vanity Fair,
14 May 2026
-
Stephen Fry whips out his phone to snag a picture with Johnny Knoxville inside the Fox Upfront 2026 afterparty in New York City on May 11.—
People Staff,
PEOPLE,
14 May 2026
Verb
-
Some fans said the actor instead resembled an early-PlayStation-era cutscene character who robotically flails his limbs upon impact.—
James Hibberd,
HollywoodReporter,
13 May 2026
-
As Frances ascends in the art world, Avery flails financially and emotionally — and the nationwide Adderall shortage isn’t helping.—
Jennifer Maas,
Variety,
30 Apr. 2026
Verb
-
Just in time for summer, Amazon’s Memorial Day sale slashes 25% off the price of these Nike Calm Mules, which play off the trending sneakers-to-sandals trend.—
Tim Chan,
Footwear News,
22 May 2026
-
SpaceX's Starlink is rolling out a new deal that slashes the monthly price of the satellite internet service in the US by $21.—
Michael Kan,
PC Magazine,
5 May 2026
Verb
-
But the plot also retains a serial quality that saps momentum and betrays its TV roots.—
Naveen Kumar,
Variety,
21 Apr. 2026
-
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
Cite this Entry
“Sledgehammers.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/sledgehammers. Accessed 5 Jun. 2026.
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