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
David Frum, The Atlantic, 28 Jan. 2026
Chicago police are warning about a string of burglaries over four days last week where thieves used sledgehammers and crowbars to bust through glass front doors or windows of businesses across the city.
—Todd Feurer, CBS News, 21 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
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
Chicago police are warning about a string of burglaries over four days last week where thieves used sledgehammers and crowbars to bust through glass front doors or windows of businesses across the city.
—Todd Feurer, CBS News, 21 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
-
Federal officers wielded batons and deployed flash-bang devices against the crowd.—
Jack Brook,
Los Angeles Times,
24 Jan. 2026
-
Or to Martin Luther King, whose birthday America will (largely pretend) to honor next week, and everyone who marched with him while facing down hoses and dogs and the batons of cops.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
15 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
-
Plants should bloom more reliably and rose canes will thicken as their roots establish.—
Lauren Landers,
The Spruce,
10 Jan. 2026
-
Students at the center learn how to travel independently using canes and public transportation, cook and clean safely, use adaptive technology like screen readers and voiceover software, read Braille, and prepare for employment.—
Tori Mason,
CBS News,
10 Jan. 2026
Verb
-
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
-
Percy, now carrying the Golden Fleece, runs toward the elevator, but Luke stabs him through the closing doors.—
Monica Mercuri,
Forbes.com,
20 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
-
Orchestrated by a central process orchestration layer such as zenon, this approach accelerates scale-up from lab to full production, slashes changeover time, reduces waste, and breaks vendor lock‑in while protecting existing assets and enabling continuous improvement.—
CBS News,
CBS News,
21 Jan. 2026
-
The system slashes both capital expenditure and long-term maintenance costs.—
Mrigakshi Dixit,
Interesting Engineering,
15 Jan. 2026
Verb
-
That put heavy minutes on the five healthy blue-liners and required the Blue Jackets’ forwards to help those defensemen play with minimal physical contact, which only saps more energy.—
Aaron Portzline,
New York Times,
12 Jan. 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 1 Feb. 2026.
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