as in violent
marked by bursts of destructive force or intense activity
the scuffle escalated into a hammer-and-tongs fight
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as in sharply
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Example Sentences
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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
-
While keeping their relationship a secret for professional reasons, an unexpected promotion unravels their fraught romance, fueling a violent competition between the duo.—
Samantha Bergeson,
IndieWire,
21 Feb. 2025
-
The court approved desegregation plan was fiercely resisted by the Boston School Committee and the many parents who took to the streets in, sometimes violent, protest.—
Aaron Kupchik,
TIME,
21 Feb. 2025
Adjective
-
It was destroyed in the Eaton Fire, which spread at ferocious speeds in high winds, eventually destroying more than 9,000 houses and buildings around Altadena, Calif.—
Lauren Sommer,
NPR,
23 Jan. 2025
-
In the days after the fire, Anthony C. Marrone, the Los Angeles County fire chief, hammered the same message over and over: The flames were too ferocious and the winds too intense to stop the infernos of Tuesday night, Jan. 7.—
Jonathan Wolfe,
New York Times,
18 Jan. 2025
Adjective
-
The game between the fierce rivals was halted after 52 minutes due to fans throwing flares onto the pitch.—
Adam Crafton,
The Athletic,
25 Feb. 2025
-
After the goalless draw in one of soccer’s fiercest rivalries, the Portuguese manager was yet again outspoken in his press conference.—
Ben Church,
CNN,
25 Feb. 2025
Adverb
-
While Patel is fiercely loyal to Trump, his message Saturday was a rebuke to Musk, who has had the ear of the president since the 2024 campaign.—
Bart Jansen,
USA TODAY,
25 Feb. 2025
-
Firefly exemplifies how innovation and responsibility can coexist, even in a fiercely competitive and rapidly evolving market.—
Alexander Puutio,
Forbes,
22 Feb. 2025
Adjective
-
Cormack was furious, issuing a sharp rebuke, the official said.—
Brett Murphy,
ProPublica,
16 Feb. 2025
-
According to the Sheriff’s Office: Following a furious chase through Cascade, the black Toyota Tundra pickup truck headed south on Idaho 55, weaving in and around traffic while deputies kept pace behind.—
Max Silverson,
Idaho Statesman,
14 Feb. 2025
Adjective
-
The book explores the complexity of hope, the necessity of grief, and the need for new ways of thinking, becoming, and belonging in turbulent times.—
News Release,
San Diego Union-Tribune,
15 Feb. 2025
-
Bill Hader says Ye would tell cast 'on the regular' that Saturday Night Live was 'incredibly unfunny' The development comes in the midst of an turbulent month for the rapper-slash-fashionista.—
Wesley Stenzel,
EW.com,
14 Feb. 2025
Adjective
-
Most holes look exactly the same, straightforward with skinny fairways and thick rough.—
Brody Miller,
The Athletic,
14 Feb. 2025
-
But the Bulls again had a rough time shooting 3-pointers, making 9 of 41 after going 10-for-47 on Tuesday.—
Andrew Seligman,
Chicago Tribune,
13 Feb. 2025
Adjective
-
Weak ash emissions were ongoing and the Landsat image also captures a volcanic plume drifting away from the summit in a northeasterly direction.—
Tom Rogers,
Newsweek,
20 Feb. 2025
-
It had been hidden beneath tons of volcanic rock and ash for 2,000 years.—
Daniel Wine,
CNN,
19 Feb. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Hammer-and-tongs.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/hammer-and-tongs. Accessed 1 Mar. 2025.
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