battering ram

noun

1

: a military siege engine consisting of a large wooden beam with a head of iron used in ancient times to beat down the walls of a besieged place

2

: a heavy metal bar with handles used (as by firefighters) to batter down doors and walls

Examples of battering ram in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

And here’s Keys, a battering ram built for blasting ball carriers on special teams. —Alec Lewis, New York Times, 1 May 2025

Chicago Tribune Even the New York Giants were doing some fist-pumping and hugging after selecting Arizona State battering ram Cam Skattebo at the start of Round 4. —Dan Wiederer, Chicago Tribune, 29 Apr. 2025

Beneath her palm, her heart hurled itself against her breastbone like a battering ram, refusing to calm. —Maureen Lee Lenker, EW.com, 12 Feb. 2025

Editors’ Picks How to Look Original Political Pressure Ever since the effects of bird flu started showing up in egg prices, the lowly egg has become a political battering ram. —Danielle Kaye, New York Times, 25 Feb. 2025

Word History

First Known Use

1593, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Rhymes for battering ram

• clonazepam
• diazepam
• ideogram
• malayalam
• oscillogram
• roentgenogram
• abraham
• anagram
• cablegram
• cofferdam
• dendrogram
• diagram

Kids Definition

battering ram

noun

1

: an ancient military machine consisting of a large iron-tipped wooden beam used to beat down walls

2

: a heavy metal bar with handles used (as by firefighters) to batter down doors and walls