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.
After hearing proposals from both counties, Bushmills’ board of directors hammered out a tentative deal with Kandiyohi County to build its $60 million plant on a site west of Atwater in Gennessee Township. Contributed Content, Twin Cities, 7 Feb. 2025 As the relief market shifted during free agency, the Royals re-engaged with Estévez and hammered out a deal. Jaylon Thompson, Kansas City Star, 1 Feb. 2025 When pressed over the national security concerns about ByteDance, Trump shied away from saying for sure if a divestiture deal would be hammered out. Julia Shapero, The Hill, 21 Jan. 2025 Essentially, the extension option was inserted to provide the players some more room if a deal was basically in place and the parties needed more time to hammer out the details. The Editors, National Review, 20 Jan. 2025 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 11 Feb. 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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