jackhammer
noun
jack·ham·mer
ˈjak-ˌha-mər 
1
: a pneumatically operated percussive rock-drilling tool usually held in the hands
2
: a device in which a tool (such as a chisel for breaking up pavements) is driven percussively by compressed air
jackhammer
verb
Examples of jackhammer in a Sentence
Recent Examples on the Web
Twenty years ago, a few of Los Angeles’ West Adams residents and their friends had a novel idea: take a jackhammer to break up the asphalt and cement at their neighborhood’s 24th Street Elementary School to plant shade trees and a garden.
—
Corie Brown, Los Angeles Times, 15 Sep. 2024
Agents reportedly were using a cadaver dog to search the subdivision and a Courier Journal photographer saw investigators using a jackhammer on the driveway of a home.
—Leo Bertucci, The Courier-Journal, 4 Sep. 2024
Two small jackhammers worth about $700 were stolen from a side yard.
—Isha Trivedi, The Mercury News, 16 July 2024
The construction of Hamas’ tunnels involved the removal of massive quantities of earth almost entirely with electric jackhammers operating some 60 feet underground, in order not to alert the Israelis.
—Arthur Herman, Foreign Affairs, 26 Aug. 2014
See all Example Sentences for jackhammer 
Corie Brown, Los Angeles Times, 15 Sep. 2024
Agents reportedly were using a cadaver dog to search the subdivision and a Courier Journal photographer saw investigators using a jackhammer on the driveway of a home.
—Leo Bertucci, The Courier-Journal, 4 Sep. 2024
Two small jackhammers worth about $700 were stolen from a side yard.
—Isha Trivedi, The Mercury News, 16 July 2024
The construction of Hamas’ tunnels involved the removal of massive quantities of earth almost entirely with electric jackhammers operating some 60 feet underground, in order not to alert the Israelis.
—Arthur Herman, Foreign Affairs, 26 Aug. 2014
See all Example Sentences for jackhammer
These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'jackhammer.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.
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Cite this Entry
“Jackhammer.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/jackhammer. Accessed 4 Nov. 2024.
Copy CitationKids Definition
jackhammer
noun
jack·ham·mer
ˈjak-ˌham-ər
: a tool driven by compressed air that is used for drilling or breaking up hard substances (as rock or pavement) by a repeated pounding action
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