hammerlock
noun
ham·mer·lock
ˈha-mər-ˌläk 
: a wrestling hold in which an opponent's arm is held bent behind the back
broadly
: a strong hold
Examples of hammerlock in a Sentence
Recent Examples on the Web
President-elect Donald J. Trump’s hammerlock on the Republican Party was shaken on Thursday night when 38 of his party’s lawmakers in the House voted to defy his command to support a spending and debt deal.
—
Michael D. Shear, New York Times, 20 Dec. 2024
Breaking the hammerlock that a handful of prime contractors has on Pentagon budgets and timetables won’t be easy.
—Editorial Board, Washington Post, 24 June 2024
China has a hammerlock on production of most of the minerals involved in EVs.
—Russ Mitchell, Los Angeles Times, 22 Sep. 2022
If Trump runs for president again in 2024, there is every chance he will be nominated but lose the general election, given his hammerlock on the conservative base but low general popularity.
—Ryan Cooper, The Week, 28 July 2021
Burlington at this point, for decades has been essentially a one party town with a relatively conservative Democratic ruling clique that has just had a hammerlock on city politics.
—New York Times, 5 Aug. 2021
By the time those two transferred, Jordan had a hammerlock on the position, eventually finishing his freshman season with 597 yards, six rushing touchdowns and Pac-12 Offensive Freshman of the Year honors.
—Josh Newman, The Salt Lake Tribune, 8 June 2021
The Fighting Illini outlasted the Buckeyes, seemingly putting a hammerlock on one of the four No. 1 seeds.
—Josh Newman, The Salt Lake Tribune, 14 Mar. 2021
The race to succeed him reflects changing demographics and voter attitudes in Texas that give Democrats hopes of breaking the longtime GOP political hammerlock on the Lone Star State.
—David Mark, Washington Examiner, 29 Sep. 2020
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Michael D. Shear, New York Times, 20 Dec. 2024
Breaking the hammerlock that a handful of prime contractors has on Pentagon budgets and timetables won’t be easy.
—Editorial Board, Washington Post, 24 June 2024
China has a hammerlock on production of most of the minerals involved in EVs.
—Russ Mitchell, Los Angeles Times, 22 Sep. 2022
If Trump runs for president again in 2024, there is every chance he will be nominated but lose the general election, given his hammerlock on the conservative base but low general popularity.
—Ryan Cooper, The Week, 28 July 2021
Burlington at this point, for decades has been essentially a one party town with a relatively conservative Democratic ruling clique that has just had a hammerlock on city politics.
—New York Times, 5 Aug. 2021
By the time those two transferred, Jordan had a hammerlock on the position, eventually finishing his freshman season with 597 yards, six rushing touchdowns and Pac-12 Offensive Freshman of the Year honors.
—Josh Newman, The Salt Lake Tribune, 8 June 2021
The Fighting Illini outlasted the Buckeyes, seemingly putting a hammerlock on one of the four No. 1 seeds.
—Josh Newman, The Salt Lake Tribune, 14 Mar. 2021
The race to succeed him reflects changing demographics and voter attitudes in Texas that give Democrats hopes of breaking the longtime GOP political hammerlock on the Lone Star State.
—David Mark, Washington Examiner, 29 Sep. 2020
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Cite this Entry
“Hammerlock.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/hammerlock. Accessed 28 Dec. 2024.
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