hammer out

verb

hammered out; hammering out; hammers out

transitive verb

: to produce or bring about as if by repeated blows
hammered out an agreement

Examples of hammer out in a Sentence

the city council hammered out new commercial development regulations with input from residents, business owners, and environmental activists
Recent Examples on the Web
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
The financing hammered out last year for the new truck includes relying on the Redevelopment Commission to pony up money for the truck with the promise that the city will repay the loan once a $4 million bond is issued. Doug Ross, Chicago Tribune, 16 Jan. 2025 But the parties still had to hammer out agreements on workplace issues including the automation of ports, which the union strongly opposed, by the new deadline of Jan. 15. Taylor Giorno, The Hill, 9 Jan. 2025 It was reported that then-Gov. Andrew Cuomo leaned on the public demand to bring Dolan and the late Glenn Britt, the CEO and chairman of Time Warner Cable at the time, back to the table to hammer out a deal. Jason Clinkscales, Sportico.com, 4 Jan. 2025 Instead, in the end, the two camps found a way to hammer out a happy reunion. Jack Harris, Los Angeles Times, 27 Dec. 2024 See all Example Sentences for hammer out 

Word History

First Known Use

circa 1632, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of hammer out was circa 1632

Dictionary Entries Near hammer out

Cite this Entry

“Hammer out.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/hammer%20out. Accessed 30 Jan. 2025.

Kids Definition

hammer out

verb
: to produce or bring about by persistent effort
hammered out an agreement

More from Merriam-Webster on hammer out

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
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