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
Rogers ran a jackhammer, cutting down concrete floors and carrying the pieces out in a wheelbarrow.
—
Anjeanette Damon, ProPublica, 4 Nov. 2024
The second is a concrete cube with no visible windows or doors; time to break out the jackhammer.
—Lily Hay Newman, WIRED, 12 Mar. 2017
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
See all Example Sentences for jackhammer 
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.
Anjeanette Damon, ProPublica, 4 Nov. 2024
The second is a concrete cube with no visible windows or doors; time to break out the jackhammer.
—Lily Hay Newman, WIRED, 12 Mar. 2017
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
See all Example Sentences for jackhammer
Articles Related to jackhammer
Dictionary Entries Near jackhammer
Cite this Entry
“Jackhammer.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/jackhammer. Accessed 27 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
Love words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
Share