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
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of hammer-and-tongs
Chris Wheatley, Longreads, 16 July 2024
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
The Reds went hammer and tongs in their efforts to find a second, though their hosts were able to hold off the onslaught until the final 10 minutes of the clash.
—SI.com, 15 Aug. 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
Adverb
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 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
The Reds went hammer and tongs in their efforts to find a second, though their hosts were able to hold off the onslaught until the final 10 minutes of the clash.
—SI.com, 15 Aug. 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
-
Long before 17-year-old Solomon Henderson walked into his school cafeteria with a gun, authorities in Tennessee were alerted to his threatening and violent behavior.—
Aliyya Swaby,
ProPublica,
8 Feb. 2025
-
What if, the thinking goes, the prospect of CTE becomes an excuse for any violent or criminal behavior?—
Vahe Gregorian,
Kansas City Star,
7 Feb. 2025
Adjective
-
Fueled by powerful winds and dry conditions, a series of ferocious wildfires erupted the second week of January and roared across the Los Angeles area.—
Saba Hamedy,
NBC News,
31 Jan. 2025
-
As climate change makes California’s already moody swings between wet and dry more ferocious, the state’s water problems between farmers, environmentalists and cities are getting harder to solve.—
Ari Plachta,
Sacramento Bee,
24 Jan. 2025
Adjective
-
Veteran San Diego actor Rosina Reynolds is the cast standout in her icy, fierce and acerbic performance as the uncompromising Polly.—
Pam Kragen,
San Diego Union-Tribune,
10 Feb. 2025
-
Kyiv has often reported the fiercest clashes taking place in the oblast.—
Ellie Cook,
Newsweek,
9 Feb. 2025
Adverb
-
The network's decision to not renew its existing agreement has led to a fiercely competitive environment as different companies vie for the opportunity to broadcast Formula One in the United States.—
Josh Hammer,
Newsweek,
14 Feb. 2025
-
There’s talk of rebuilding their community and fiercely defending their Altadena.—
Stephen Rodrick,
Rolling Stone,
13 Feb. 2025
Adjective
-
Rucks came up with an offensive rebound before drawing a foul and splitting a pair of free throws with 1:37 left to set up the final furious sequence.—
Chuck Livingston Special to the Democrat-Gazette,
arkansasonline.com,
8 Feb. 2025
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It was met with furious pushback, public outcry, and a string of defeats in court.—
Vox Staff,
Vox,
7 Feb. 2025
Adjective
-
The book explores the complexity of hope, the necessity of grief, and the need for new ways of thinking, becoming, and belonging in turbulent times.—
News Release,
San Diego Union-Tribune,
15 Feb. 2025
-
Bill Hader says Ye would tell cast 'on the regular' that Saturday Night Live was 'incredibly unfunny' The development comes in the midst of an turbulent month for the rapper-slash-fashionista.—
Wesley Stenzel,
EW.com,
14 Feb. 2025
Adjective
-
Most holes look exactly the same, straightforward with skinny fairways and thick rough.—
Brody Miller,
The Athletic,
14 Feb. 2025
-
Another man was bitten nearby, and a teenager received a small wound when a shark ran into her and grazed her leg, either with its teeth or its rough skin.—
Rick Sobey,
Boston Herald,
13 Feb. 2025
Adjective
-
The geothermal area is far from the crowded Golden Circle and offers hikers the chance to experience surreal volcanic landscapes and soak in secluded geothermal pools.—
Becca Blond,
AFAR Media,
5 Feb. 2025
-
Thousands of residents and seasonal workers have left the Cycladic Islands as quakes up to magnitude 5 have been recorded in the volcanic region since Friday.—
Derek Gatopoulos,
Chicago Tribune,
4 Feb. 2025
Thesaurus Entries Near hammer-and-tongs
Cite this Entry
“Hammer-and-tongs.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/hammer-and-tongs. Accessed 19 Feb. 2025.
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