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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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
as in sharply
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Dissimilar Words
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of hammer-and-tongs
Chris Wheatley, Longreads, 16 July 2024
The action on Nevarro is crisp and well-presented, highlighted by the Armorer taking out the sniper’s nest singlehandedly with only her hammer and tongs as weapons.
—Alan Sepinwall, Rolling Stone, 29 Mar. 2023
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
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 action on Nevarro is crisp and well-presented, highlighted by the Armorer taking out the sniper’s nest singlehandedly with only her hammer and tongs as weapons.
—Alan Sepinwall, Rolling Stone, 29 Mar. 2023
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
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
-
Now polling suggests the public, and even Republican leaders in Congress, have stopped buying the White House’s claims that federal agents’ paramilitary-style raids only target violent criminals.—
Ben Smith,
semafor.com,
9 Feb. 2026
-
The takeover of the arts is less violent and a bit more insidious, but just as dangerous in its own right.—
Voice of the People,
New York Daily News,
8 Feb. 2026
Adverb
-
Miami also bounced back sharply, jumping 82 percent to 40 sales, while London slipped to seventh place with just 35 deals.—
Abby Montanez,
Robb Report,
5 Feb. 2026
-
If the states don’t reach a deal, federal officials could sharply cut Arizona’s water starting next year, and at that point, a lawsuit is likely, Buschatzke said.—
Ian James,
Los Angeles Times,
5 Feb. 2026
Adjective
-
The press was ferocious and organised, with the number of box entries and chances created being higher than any league performance this season.—
Megan Feringa,
New York Times,
30 Jan. 2026
-
What Lee did not anticipate was the iron resolve, the ferocious tenacity, of the Union defenders.—
Jamelle Bouie,
Mercury News,
29 Jan. 2026
Adverb
-
Heavily armed men, dressed in civilian clothes, arrived in 4 vehicles and violently took him away.—
Zach LaChance,
The Washington Examiner,
9 Feb. 2026
-
Wyoming's Breezy Johnson became the second American woman ever to win the Olympic gold medal in downhill skiing Sunday, hours after the first person to accomplish the feat, Lindsey Vonn, crashed violently on the famed Tofane course.—
Andrew Greif,
NBC news,
8 Feb. 2026
Adjective
-
Kam and O'Shea exceeded all expectations with a performance characterized by spectacular lifts and fierce musicality.—
Andrew Greif,
NBC news,
8 Feb. 2026
-
Then, in the middle of a fierce snowstorm, a skinny little girl and her dog show up at the resort.—
Mary Ann Grossmann,
Twin Cities,
8 Feb. 2026
Adverb
-
They’re forced to decide if there is room for love in their fiercely competitive world.—
Katie Campione,
Deadline,
9 Feb. 2026
-
Cadillac has become the first American auto giant to step into the fiercely competitive world of Formula One with a dedicated team.—
Duarte Dias,
CBS News,
9 Feb. 2026
Adjective
-
Saturday evening, police released a photo of Haile Cummings, 34, who is being sought in connection with the furious shoot-out inside Taste of the City Lounge on Franklin Ave.—
Nicholas Williams,
New York Daily News,
8 Feb. 2026
-
That may not be enough to stop furious lawmakers trying to eject the prime minister from office over his failure of judgment.—
Jill Lawless,
Fortune,
7 Feb. 2026
Adverb
-
Navalnaya has repeatedly blamed Putin for Navalny’s death, something Russian officials have vehemently denied.—
ABC News,
ABC News,
14 Feb. 2026
-
Russian officials have vehemently denied the accusation.—
Jill Lawless,
Los Angeles Times,
14 Feb. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Hammer-and-tongs.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/hammer-and-tongs. Accessed 16 Feb. 2026.
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