sledgehammer 1 of 3

noun

Definition of sledgehammernext
as in mallet
a large, heavy hammer with a long handle broke up the concrete using a sledgehammer

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sledgehammer

2 of 3

adjective

as in heavy-handed

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Dissimilar Words

sledgehammer

3 of 3

verb

as in to cane

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Example Sentences

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 sledgehammer
Noun
Demonstrators wearing masks tore bricks from the walls outside homes and smashed sidewalks with sledgehammers to toss at riot police. — CBS News, 11 June 2026 Franco, a 23-year-old from Laredo, frantically swung the sledgehammer through heavy smoke. — ABC News, 18 June 2026
Adjective
And Sundwall said that, in retrospect, state health officials took a sledgehammer approach to mitigating the pandemic, such as school closings in 2020, when the state could have taken a more surgical tack. — Bethany Rodgers, The Salt Lake Tribune, 27 Sep. 2021 The Academy Award winner quickly turned into a sledgehammer pro, getting involved in breaking through walls and ripping out fixtures. — Vanessa Etienne, PEOPLE.com, 9 July 2021
Verb
While Beijing’s sledgehammer approach — seen by many as an extreme experiment unprecedented in size and scope — worked to quickly lower the number of infections, the price in human trauma and economic loss was severe. — Javier C. Hernández, New York Times, 17 Mar. 2020 The move means the 7-foot Kiwi will be under contract for the next three seasons and signals that at a time when the game is becoming increasingly perimeter-oriented, the Pelicans will try to sledgehammer their way to wins. — Christian Clark, NOLA.com, 24 Nov. 2020 See All Example Sentences for sledgehammer
Recent Examples of Synonyms for sledgehammer
  1. mallet
  2. heavy-handed
  3. cane
  4. hammer
  5. jackbooted
  6. stab
  7. baton
  8. oppressive
Noun
  • After butterflying the breast, place a piece of plastic wrap or parchment on top and use a meat mallet or small, heavy skillet to pound it to an even thickness.
    — Martha Stewart, Martha Stewart, 21 June 2026
  • Diana held a croquet mallet during a game at Itchenor, West Sussex, as seen in this 1970 portrait.
    — Joyann Jeffrey, PEOPLE, 21 June 2026
Definition of mallet
Adjective
  • Yes, Israel has been much too heavy-handed in its response to Hamas in Gaza.
    — Voice of the People, New York Daily News, 28 June 2026
  • Thorazine is a heavy-handed chemical tool sometimes used not to treat an underlying illness, but to sedate an acute behavioral crisis.
    — Ashley Andreou, STAT, 22 June 2026
Definition of heavy-handed
Verb
  • Visuals also showed some people receiving CPR. Uncontrollable crowd Police started caning people at one gate, leading to more chaos, said Mithun Singh, a software engineer among the crowd.
    — USA Today, USA Today, 5 June 2025
  • Both failed to fire, and the hero of the Battle of New Orleans, with a hair-trigger temper, began caning the would-be assassin.
    — Barbara A. Perry, MSNBC Newsweek, 18 Apr. 2025
Definition of cane
Noun
  • The same year, an intruder broke into the Pelosis' home and attacked Paul Pelosi with a hammer, fracturing his skull.
    — Christopher Cann, USA Today, 6 July 2026
  • Cognac Ultra Rare Red was not far behind with a hammer sale of $20,000.
    — Jonah Flicker, Robb Report, 1 July 2026
Definition of hammer
Adjective
  • Karol let those lines here serve as her brief indictment of the present, jackbooted environment around immigration and repression in the United States.
    — Mikael Wood, Los Angeles Times, 13 Apr. 2026
  • Hungary under his rule is far from a jackbooted dictatorship, but its democracy is diverging markedly from that of many of its partners in the European Union.
    — Ishaan Tharoor, Washington Post, 6 Apr. 2018
Definition of jackbooted
Verb
  • Gabriel Garland, the Love Island UK Islander who was removed from the villa after being named in court documents in a stabbing incident, has broken his silence.
    — Armando Tinoco, Deadline, 3 July 2026
  • Continue reading … CABIN CHAOS — Midair horror as passenger admits trying to stab stranger through the eye.
    — , FOXNews.com, 3 July 2026
Definition of stab
Noun
  • The officers hit him with a baton and shocked him seven times.
    — Topher Sanders, ProPublica, 30 June 2026
  • Somebody had dropped the baton.
    — Christopher Hooks, Harpers Magazine, 23 June 2026
Definition of baton
Adjective
  • Other booths included photo opportunities dressed in traditional Colonial garb, hands-on historical exhibits and interactive displays that offered visitors a break from the oppressive heat.
    — Mike Stunson, USA Today, 4 July 2026
  • Due to the oppressive heat, the Phillies have adjusted operations through Thursday's game.
    — Eva Andersen, CBS News, 2 July 2026
Definition of oppressive

Browse Nearby Words

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sledgehammer
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Cite this Entry

“Sledgehammer.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/sledgehammer. Accessed 7 Jul. 2026.

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Nglish: Translation of sledgehammer for Spanish Speakers

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