hammerhead
noun
ham·mer·head
ˈha-mər-ˌhed 
1
: the striking part of a hammer
2
3
: any of a family (Sphyrnidae) of active voracious medium-sized sharks that have the eyes at the ends of lateral extensions of the flattened head see shark illustration
Synonyms
- airhead
- birdbrain
- blockhead
- bonehead
- bubblehead
- chowderhead
- chucklehead
- clodpoll
- clodpole
- clot [British]
- cluck
- clunk
- cretin
- cuddy [British dialect]
- cuddie
- deadhead
- dim bulb [slang]
- dimwit
- dip
- dodo
- dolt
- donkey
- doofus [slang]
- dope
- dork [slang]
- dullard
- dum-dum
- dumbbell
- dumbhead
- dummkopf
- dummy
- dunce
- dunderhead
- fathead
- gander
- golem
- goof
- goon
- half-wit
- hardhead
- idiot
- ignoramus
- imbecile
- jackass
- know-nothing
- knucklehead
- lamebrain
- loggerhead [chiefly dialect]
- loon
- lump
- lunkhead
- meathead
- mome [archaic]
- moron
- mug [chiefly British]
- mutt
- natural
- nimrod [slang]
- nincompoop
- ninny
- ninnyhammer
- nit [chiefly British]
- nitwit
- noddy
- noodle
- numskull
- numbskull
- oaf
- pinhead
- prat [British]
- ratbag [chiefly Australian]
- saphead
- schlub [slang]
- shlub
- schnook [slang]
- simpleton
- stock
- stupe
- stupid
- thickhead
- turkey
- woodenhead
- yahoo
- yo-yo
Examples of hammerhead in a Sentence
we despair of ever getting those hammerheads to buckle their seat belts without prodding
Recent Examples on the Web
Tiger sharks, hammerheads, bull sharks and makos can be found swimming in the waters, according to Florida Shark Diving, a tour operator.
—
Tom Howarth
follow, Newsweek, 30 Oct. 2024
Latin America is known to be a global hub for small hammerhead shark species, and Sphyrna alleni ranges from Belize to Brazil.
—Melissa Cristina Marquez, Forbes, 23 Sep. 2024
Periods of heavy rain in Houston drew out a rash of invasive and toxic hammerhead flatworms.
—Kelli Bender, Peoplemag, 29 July 2024
Smaller sharks, including blacktip sharks, can be key menu items for larger sharks, such as great hammerheads.
—Michael Heithaus, Discover Magazine, 5 Aug. 2024
See all Example Sentences for hammerhead 
These examples are automatically compiled from online sources to
illustrate current usage. Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of
Merriam-Webster or its editors.
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about these examples.
Tom Howarth
follow, Newsweek, 30 Oct. 2024
Latin America is known to be a global hub for small hammerhead shark species, and Sphyrna alleni ranges from Belize to Brazil.
—Melissa Cristina Marquez, Forbes, 23 Sep. 2024
Periods of heavy rain in Houston drew out a rash of invasive and toxic hammerhead flatworms.
—Kelli Bender, Peoplemag, 29 July 2024
Smaller sharks, including blacktip sharks, can be key menu items for larger sharks, such as great hammerheads.
—Michael Heithaus, Discover Magazine, 5 Aug. 2024
See all Example Sentences for hammerhead
Dictionary Entries Near hammerhead
Cite this Entry
“Hammerhead.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/hammerhead. Accessed 16 Nov. 2024.
Copy CitationKids Definition
hammerhead
noun
ham·mer·head
ˈham-ər-ˌhed
: any of various active sharks of medium size that have the eyes at the ends of sideward extensions of the flattened head
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