as in grinding (out)
to produce or bring about especially by long or repeated effort
the city council hammered out new commercial development regulations with input from residents, business owners, and environmental activists
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example 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 hammering out
The mayor has faced challenges with hammering out a compromise between the Black and Latino caucuses for the influential role; now Lawson, who is white, could be poised to clinch the spot.
—
Alice Yin, Chicago Tribune, 4 Feb. 2026
The statement said that Patagonia and Pattie Gonia—who uses female pronouns—spent several years hammering out an agreement over the activist’s use of the brand’s name.
—Frederick Dreier, Outside, 23 Jan. 2026
Following Witkoff and Kushner’s visit to the Kremlin in early December, a flurry of high-level diplomacy involving Zelensky and European leaders ensued, with much talk about hammering out the finer points of a potential agreement.
—Nathan Hodge, CNN Money, 31 Dec. 2025
Lawmakers have gone home for the holidays without hammering out a resolution to address the expiring ObamaCare subsidies as tensions flare amid health care negotiations.
—The Hill Staff, The Hill, 22 Dec. 2025
Similarly, structured equity entails hammering out a capital solution specific to each company; there is no formulaic approach.
—Mike Terwilliger, Fortune, 24 Oct. 2025
But behind the scenes, the utility was hammering out a deal with the Denver Broncos to sell 25 acres of its 36-acre campus.
—Aldo Svaldi, Denver Post, 17 Sep. 2025
Talks had been ongoing for the past eight months, both sides had incurred about six-figures on legal bills hammering out the details, a major concert had been planned and a 1,200-word embargoed deal announcement was ready to go.
—Erik Hayden, HollywoodReporter, 2 Sep. 2025
Following weeks of escalating tensions, Beijing and Washington agreed in May to suspend the hefty duties and loosen several punitive measures imposed in April, as both sides continued to work on hammering out a durable deal.
—Anniek Bao, CNBC, 21 Aug. 2025
Alice Yin, Chicago Tribune, 4 Feb. 2026
The statement said that Patagonia and Pattie Gonia—who uses female pronouns—spent several years hammering out an agreement over the activist’s use of the brand’s name.
—Frederick Dreier, Outside, 23 Jan. 2026
Following Witkoff and Kushner’s visit to the Kremlin in early December, a flurry of high-level diplomacy involving Zelensky and European leaders ensued, with much talk about hammering out the finer points of a potential agreement.
—Nathan Hodge, CNN Money, 31 Dec. 2025
Lawmakers have gone home for the holidays without hammering out a resolution to address the expiring ObamaCare subsidies as tensions flare amid health care negotiations.
—The Hill Staff, The Hill, 22 Dec. 2025
Similarly, structured equity entails hammering out a capital solution specific to each company; there is no formulaic approach.
—Mike Terwilliger, Fortune, 24 Oct. 2025
But behind the scenes, the utility was hammering out a deal with the Denver Broncos to sell 25 acres of its 36-acre campus.
—Aldo Svaldi, Denver Post, 17 Sep. 2025
Talks had been ongoing for the past eight months, both sides had incurred about six-figures on legal bills hammering out the details, a major concert had been planned and a 1,200-word embargoed deal announcement was ready to go.
—Erik Hayden, HollywoodReporter, 2 Sep. 2025
Following weeks of escalating tensions, Beijing and Washington agreed in May to suspend the hefty duties and loosen several punitive measures imposed in April, as both sides continued to work on hammering out a durable deal.
—Anniek Bao, CNBC, 21 Aug. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for hammering out
Verb
-
Together with Shaway Yeh, then group style editorial director of Modern Media, Lim transformed Modern Weekly, a regional lifestyle weekly founded by the Chinese entrepreneur Thomas Shao in 1993, into a Chinese media powerhouse known for forging creative ties with both global and Asian creatives.—
Denni Hu,
Footwear News,
11 Feb. 2026
-
But without a finished 10th novel to work from (Gabaldon is currently in progress on her final Outlander volume, called A Blessing for a Warrior Going Out), Roberts and team had to toe a fine line between honoring the essence of the book series and forging their own path forward.—
Amy Wilkinson,
Entertainment Weekly,
10 Feb. 2026
Verb
-
In the future, it could be used for developing high-performance, sustainable materials for everything from aerospace engineering to advanced protective gear.—
Mrigakshi Dixit,
Interesting Engineering,
6 Feb. 2026
-
This is a developing story and has been updated.—
Anna Chernova,
CNN Money,
6 Feb. 2026
Verb
-
After working up an appetite in the more temperate months, meals can be taken at the outdoor dining pavilion alongside the home.—
Tori Latham,
Robb Report,
26 Jan. 2026
-
To this day, working up a mess of beans soothes and centers me.—
Sheri Castle,
Southern Living,
21 Aug. 2025
Verb
-
The company has compared the cost of creating a biodrone to that of building a conventional unmanned aerial vehicle, emphasizing that birds require no battery recharging and can fly farther in a single day.—
Sujita Sinha,
Interesting Engineering,
10 Feb. 2026
-
Her daughter, Nina Greipel, fulfilled a promise to patrons by creating a cookbook of the restaurant's recipes.—
Amanda Hancock,
Louisville Courier Journal,
10 Feb. 2026
Verb
-
He’s initially disappointed to find people working out at Muscle Beach in Lummus Park, doing yoga on the sand and going for a jog.—
Aaron Leibowitz,
Miami Herald,
5 Feb. 2026
-
Some rules that Boyce must follow over the next many months include having no visitors inside his room, not using any alcohol or drugs and working out frequently, with a goal of losing weight and building up strength.—
Nicholas Rice,
PEOPLE,
31 Jan. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Hammering out.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/hammering%20out. Accessed 15 Feb. 2026.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
