BANGING AWAY Synonyms: 85 Similar and Opposite Words

banging away

verb

present participle of bang away

as in struggling

to devote serious and sustained effort the design team has been banging away at that project for months

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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 banging away Brian Cashman gets it all the time, but good, from Yankee fans; for them, banging away at Cashman on social media feels like the real national pastime. — Mike Lupica, New York Daily News, 16 Aug. 2025

Recent Examples of Synonyms for banging away

Verb

Tage Thompson had three goals and two assists, Zach Benson added a goal and two assists, and the Buffalo Sabres scored six consecutive goals during a 7-6 victory over the struggling Ducks on Thursday night.

— Los Angeles Times, Los Angeles Times, 30 Oct. 2026
Even today, with United Launch Alliance and Blue Origin struggling to bring their large Vulcan and New Glenn rockets into service, SpaceX’s Falcon 9 and Falcon Heavy rockets have become a single-point failure for national security launches.

— Eric Berger, ArsTechnica, 29 Oct. 2026

Definition of struggling

Verb

Strange, yes, but definitely more memorable than an accountant in green eyeshade laboring over the books.

— Los Angeles Times, Los Angeles Times, 7 Oct. 2026
And workers have now spent over 1 million hours laboring on an infrastructure project whose price tag has surpassed $900 million.

— Robert Tann, Denver Post, 24 Sep. 2026

Definition of laboring

Verb

Filmed largely on the doctors’ phones, the film offers an intimate account of the people striving to preserve life amid a devastating humanitarian crisis.

— Leo Barraclough, Variety, 19 Oct. 2026
And those striving for zest under these circumstances may benefit from assistance from a mental health professional like a psychologist, a physical health provider like a physician, or a personal trainer or fitness instructor.

— Joan M. Cook, Time, 17 Oct. 2026

Definition of striving

Verb

Still, something unexpected may force you to try a different method, schedule, or approach that ends up working better.

— Tarot.com, Hartford Courant, 28 Oct. 2026
The association and Special Olympics Illinois are working together so down the road, more Special Olympians will be inducted.

— Jeff Vorva, Chicago Tribune, 28 Oct. 2026

Definition of working

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banging

banging away

banging away (at)

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“Banging away.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/banging%20away. Accessed 30 Oct. 2026.

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Synonyms of banging away

verb

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