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
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. Send us feedback about these examples.
The tech giant helmed by Mark Zuckerberg was in the process of hammering out a deal with the operator of a nuclear power plant that would have provided electricity for a new data center. Paolo Confino, Fortune, 5 Nov. 2024 In the midst, prosecutors and defense lawyers spent days hammering out plea deals. Erik Ortiz, NBC News, 31 Oct. 2024 Deadline hears the two parties have lengthy bargaining days set aside on Monday and Tuesday to hammer out the deal. Katie Campione, Deadline, 25 Oct. 2024 Conservationists will seek additional protections for the tortoise while next steps are hammered out. Lila Seidman, Los Angeles Times, 17 Oct. 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 14 Nov. 2024.

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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