1
as in to draw
to shape with a hammer
medieval artisans hammered brass into various bowls and trays, which they then embossed with elaborate designs
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2
as in to hit
to deliver a blow to (someone or something) usually in a strong vigorous manner
hammer a nail hammered the ball for a home run
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3
as in to pound
to strike repeatedly
tried hammering the door to wake them up the crops were hammered with hail
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4
as in to scold
to criticize (someone) severely or angrily especially for personal failings
the critics have long been hammering the stage actress for resorting to the same mixed bag of mannerisms over and over
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of hammer
Literary Hub, 7 Jan. 2026
The Pats hammered Miami between the tackles on their first two drives, handing off to Rhamondre Stevenson and TreVeyon Henderson on inside zone, duo and one draw play.
—Andrew Callahan, Boston Herald, 6 Jan. 2026
Allie Garfinkle, Fortune, 30 Oct. 2025
Prosecutors made the case that Campbell suffered multiple blunt-force injuries to her face and head, consistent with those of being struck by a hammer.
—Greg Wehner, FOXNews.com, 29 Oct. 2025
See All Example Sentences for hammer
Verb
Her heart hammered against her ribcage.
—Noun
Sorrell—famed as the founder of advertising giant WPP—went on to explain that tech companies and individual figures like Elon Musk are simply too rich and influential for governments to meaningfully bring down a regulatory hammer.
—Recent Examples of Synonyms for hammer
Verb
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Since the start of the season, Arsenal have played 17 matches in total, winning 14, drawing twice, and losing just once, by an aggregate score of 35-5.—
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He was drawn to the kinds of exotic materials favored by the Japanese—among them, rare stones such as color-changing alexandrites and blue-green Paraíba tourmalines—as opposed to, say, emeralds, a staple of the Indian-jewelry repertoire.—
Verb
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Iowa then got three good looks from the three-point line in the final seconds but couldn't hit the tying shot.—
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Despite their franchise history dating back to the mid-70s (via Kansas City and Colorado), which includes essentially all of the highest-scoring era in league history, the New Jersey Devils have never had a player hit either of the game’s most basic offensive milestones.—
Verb
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Walpole got on the board first, scoring three seconds into the second quarter when Jack English pounded the ball into the end zone on third-and-goal from the one.—
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Without its dynamic starting quarterback, the Cougars were outpaced by visiting Inglewood, which pounded the rock in a 40-16 victory on Friday at Saddleback College.—
Verb
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Nawat Itsaragrisil, president of Miss Grand International (MGI), was seen scolding Fatima Bosch, a 25-year-old contestant from Mexico, ahead of the 74th Miss Universe competition being held in Bangkok later this month.—
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No doubt many grandmothers will want to scold us, but the truth is, soap isn't going to destroy your cast iron pans.—
Noun
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In the video released by police, two masked suspects dressed in all black swung what appeared to be a sledgehammer into the store’s windowed entrance.—
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Some are relatively simple, spanning a narrow stream and created by a team with a chainsaw and a sledgehammer.—
Verb
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Both chambers are expected to forge ahead quickly in the coming weeks.—
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Remind yourself that clear communication can forge uncertainty into cooperation and closeness.—
Verb
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Even 6 inches of moving water can pose a serious risk of knocking you off your feet.—
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Key's Jerry is a disruption through and through, knocking everything just a little off-kilter with each volatile appearance.—
Verb
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The sketch concluded with the librarian licking Moynihan's face with a forked tongue and then unbuttoning her blouse — causing all of the boys' heads to explode.—
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The first is Christopher Walken as Gabriel, a mean-spirited angel who sniffs and licks crime scenes and inspects children’s teeth for reasons that sort of make sense within the movie.—
Cite this Entry
“Hammer.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/hammer. Accessed 12 Jan. 2026.
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