as in violent
marked by bursts of destructive force or intense activity
the scuffle escalated into a hammer-and-tongs fight
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
as in sharply
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Examples Sentences
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.
Recent Examples of hammer-and-tongs
Chris Wheatley, Longreads, 16 July 2024
The two conservative groups that brought the case were targeted by Harris in 2012-13, right around the time the IRS was going hammer and tongs after Tea Party groups.
—Dan McLaughlin, National Review, 1 July 2021
Two teams who seem destined to slug it out in the lower reaches of the table this season going hammer and tongs at each other never makes for a good watch.
—SI.com, 18 Sep. 2019
The Reds went hammer and tongs in their efforts to find a second, though their hosts were able to hold off the onslaught until the final 10 minutes of the clash.
—SI.com, 15 Aug. 2019
With two moderate Pyrenean climbs, Thursday’s Stage 12 from Toulouse, where cassoulet and rugby are both big, wasn’t tough enough for Thomas and his rivals to go at each other hammer and tongs.
—Washington Post, 18 July 2019
The way to stand out from the others is to go hammer and tongs for the opponents’ jugulars, or to try to sound more extreme than the others.
—Jim Jones, idahostatesman, 18 May 2018
Adverb
In 1971, authors Norman Mailer and Gore Vidal went at it hammer and tongs live on late-night TV in a showdown that allegedly spilled over into violence.
—Chris Wheatley, Longreads, 16 July 2024
The two conservative groups that brought the case were targeted by Harris in 2012-13, right around the time the IRS was going hammer and tongs after Tea Party groups.
—Dan McLaughlin, National Review, 1 July 2021
Two teams who seem destined to slug it out in the lower reaches of the table this season going hammer and tongs at each other never makes for a good watch.
—SI.com, 18 Sep. 2019
The Reds went hammer and tongs in their efforts to find a second, though their hosts were able to hold off the onslaught until the final 10 minutes of the clash.
—SI.com, 15 Aug. 2019
With two moderate Pyrenean climbs, Thursday’s Stage 12 from Toulouse, where cassoulet and rugby are both big, wasn’t tough enough for Thomas and his rivals to go at each other hammer and tongs.
—Washington Post, 18 July 2019
The way to stand out from the others is to go hammer and tongs for the opponents’ jugulars, or to try to sound more extreme than the others.
—Jim Jones, idahostatesman, 18 May 2018
Recent Examples of Synonyms for hammer-and-tongs
Adjective
-
After a violent campaign in which Buddhists killed a number of priests and destroyed churches, in 1909, locals built the church that Galipeau visited in Cizhong.Livia Gershon, JSTOR Daily, 17 Dec. 2024
-
Prosecutors also said that some of the violent pornography Heuermann owned included methods consistent with the injuries to Mack's body and how she was bound with ropes.Jeanine Santucci, USA TODAY, 17 Dec. 2024
Adjective
-
Light winds, increasing humidity and a chance of rain are forecast to bring relief to Los Angeles on Thursday after dry and windy conditions fueled the spread of the ferocious Franklin fire in Malibu this week.Clara Harter, Los Angeles Times, 12 Dec. 2024
-
Tehran, Washington, and five other world powers later inked an agreement to limit Iran’s nuclear program in 2015, despite ferocious lobbying from Israeli leaders.Suzanne Maloney, Foreign Affairs, 10 Dec. 2024
Adjective
-
Her co-star and director Justin Baldoni, the outspoken actor highly regarded as one of the industry's fiercest defenders of women.Jay Stahl, USA TODAY, 22 Dec. 2024
-
Enticing notes of lemon confit, citrus blossom and a saline minerality make one yearn for the sea with subtle flavors of nectarine and chamomile tea on the palate with a fierce mineral finish and mouthwatering acidity that is impressive.Cathrine Todd, Forbes, 21 Dec. 2024
Adverb
-
Yet those fiercely unhappy with their surroundings can change the world, and those who change the world should not be forgotten.Cathrine Todd, Forbes, 21 Dec. 2024
-
Nuno has built a Forest side that is fiercely difficult to break down, while looking to hurt opposition sides on the break.Paul Taylor, The Athletic, 20 Dec. 2024
Adjective
-
The pair ended up shoving each other, with Ait-Nouri clearly furious before Wolves head of goalkeeping Neil Cutler and reserve goalkeeper Dan Bentley jumped between the pair and tried to shove Ait-Nouri away.Steve Madeley, The Athletic, 15 Dec. 2024
-
At the Los Feliz branch of Los Angeles Public Library, children’s librarian Diane Garcia said she has been intimidated several times by a patron who was furious about the LGBTQ+ picture books on display.Jenny Gold, Los Angeles Times, 12 Dec. 2024
Adjective
-
These winds can cause significant damage, increase the frequency of wildfires, and make firefighting efforts more challenging, while also posing aviation hazards and creating turbulent surf conditions.Hannah Parry, Newsweek, 11 Dec. 2024
-
The special finds Iglesias in his 27th year in comedy, reminiscing on the perils of life: from dating, to home break-ins, to turbulent plane rides.Matt Grobar, Deadline, 11 Dec. 2024
Adjective
-
The report comes during a rough period for the retail pharmacy giant.Annika Kim Constantino, CNBC, 10 Dec. 2024
-
Being a rookie who is recovering from a second ACL injury and second ACL surgery soon after recovering from the first ACL injury and surgery is a whole another level of rough.Bruce Y. Lee, Forbes, 10 Dec. 2024
Adjective
-
But Vanuatu is accustomed to natural disasters, including havoc wrought by cyclones and volcanic eruptions.Charlotte Graham-McLay, Los Angeles Times, 17 Dec. 2024
-
Located in the Yasawa archipelago, a chain of about 20 volcanic islands in western Fiji, the resort is part of the idyllic South Pacific nation, home to approximately 930,000 people.Raja Krishnamoorthi, Newsweek, 16 Dec. 2024
Thesaurus Entries Near hammer-and-tongs
Cite this Entry
“Hammer-and-tongs.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/hammer-and-tongs. Accessed 25 Dec. 2024.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
Share