as in violent
marked by bursts of destructive force or intense activity
the scuffle escalated into a hammer-and-tongs fight
Synonyms & Similar Words
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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
Adjective
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
-
That act lowered the age at which children who are accused of certain violent crimes can be tried as adults from 16 to 14.—
Ross O'Keefe,
The Washington Examiner,
17 Sep. 2025
-
Just this morning, DHS took violent offenders off the streets with arrests for assault, DUI, and felony stalking.—
Martha McHardy,
MSNBC Newsweek,
17 Sep. 2025
Adverb
-
The report said that water storage in Washington’s five reservoirs in the Yakima River Basin has dropped sharply, bringing levels, at times, to some of the lowest measured since record-keeping started in 1971.—
Doyle Rice,
USA Today,
14 Sep. 2025
-
Conversely, if rates rise sharply, Buffett can earn more on cash and bonds while waiting, raising the bar for equity investments.—
Robert Daugherty,
Forbes.com,
13 Sep. 2025
Adjective
-
On Monday afternoon, a few hours before the first ferocious attacks of Israel’s ground offensive in Gaza City made buildings tremble as far away as Tel Aviv, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu was in Jerusalem for an economics conference.—
Ruth Margalit,
New Yorker,
18 Sep. 2025
-
The array of ferocious brushstrokes, scratches, and painterly drips amplify the complex dialogue, inviting the viewer’s interpretation.—
Natasha Gural,
Forbes.com,
13 Sep. 2025
Adverb
-
The Earth system is extraordinarily far from equilibrium, and being pushed more violently so by the year.—
Peter Brannen,
Quanta Magazine,
15 Sep. 2025
-
Authorities started to violently arrest people, shooting at and beating them.—
Fatemeh Jamalpour,
Literary Hub,
15 Sep. 2025
Adjective
-
In the face of fierce opposition, Lyles supported bringing the Republican National Convention to Charlotte in 2020 — standing on her commitment to represent the entire city as mayor.—
Briah Lumpkins,
Charlotte Observer,
15 Sep. 2025
-
In Paradise Bay, competition is fierce to attract high-end clientele and the standout offering at Maxx Royal is its two-story, 5,750-square-meter spa.—
Maureen O'Hare,
CNN Money,
15 Sep. 2025
Adverb
-
While Redford might have shied away from calling himself an activist, he was fiercely dedicated to pushing for a world that was habitable for all.—
Simmone Shah,
Time,
16 Sep. 2025
-
Unions fiercely resist any accountability for performance.—
Steve Forbes,
Forbes.com,
16 Sep. 2025
Adjective
-
Never one to shy away from making a scene at the annual Düsseldorf Caravan Salon, Bürstner came on mission this year, unleashing a furious innovation offensive that included novelties like a moving bathroom and a small semi-integrated motorhome dressed up like a camper van.—
New Atlas,
New Atlas,
15 Sep. 2025
-
As if Destiny 2 needed any more disasters right now, a new one has surfaced that has players furious.—
Paul Tassi,
Forbes.com,
13 Sep. 2025
Adverb
-
Herald readers who vehemently object to changing the Massachusetts flag by a wide margin have allies on the GOP ticket for governor.—
Isabelle Friedman,
Boston Herald,
16 Sep. 2025
-
However, an American civil liberties group vehemently denied Bondi’s claims.—
Ashleigh Fields,
The Hill,
16 Sep. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Hammer and tongs.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/hammer%20and%20tongs. Accessed 20 Sep. 2025.
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