battering ram

noun

1

: a military siege engine consisting of a large wooden beam with a head of iron used in ancient times to beat down the walls of a besieged place

2

: a heavy metal bar with handles used (as by firefighters) to batter down doors and walls

Examples of battering ram in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

As police officers forced the front door of her family’s home open with a battering ram, Shari captured the surreal scene, later posting it to her account for her 621,000 followers. —Fortesa Latifi, Rolling Stone, 7 Jan. 2025

Advertisement Taylor, a 26-year-old Black woman, was roused from her bed by police who came through the door using a battering ram after midnight on March 13, 2020. —Dylan Lovan and Alanna Durkin Richer, Los Angeles Times, 13 Dec. 2024

Advertisement Prosecutors said the crew’s modus operandi was to search neighborhoods for vehicles like the Kia to steal for temporary use as a battering ram. —Brittny Mejia, Los Angeles Times, 16 July 2024

And it was accomplished in large part due to a balanced offensive approach that features Henry as its battering ram. —Jesse Reed, Forbes, 3 Nov. 2024

Word History

First Known Use

1593, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Kids Definition

battering ram

noun

1

: an ancient military machine consisting of a large iron-tipped wooden beam used to beat down walls

2

: a heavy metal bar with handles used (as by firefighters) to batter down doors and walls