as in mallet
a large, heavy hammer with a long handle
broke up the concrete using a sledgehammer
Synonyms & Similar Words
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as in heavy-handed
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
as in to cane
Synonyms & Similar Words
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of sledgehammer
The Denver Post Editorial Board, The Denver Post, 3 Mar. 2025
Yet simply revoking these programs is another example of Trump reacting to complicated issues with a sledgehammer approach.
—Orlando Sentinel and Miami Herald Editorial Boards, The Orlando Sentinel, 28 Mar. 2025
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
James Barron, New York Times, 13 Jan. 2020
Should have done steel ball on window, *then* sledgehammer the door.
—Adam Lashinsky, Fortune, 25 Nov. 2019
See All Example Sentences for sledgehammer
Noun
After decades of being unable to cut the deficit and begin paying down the debt, now is the moment for Congress to rise to the occasion and replace the sledgehammer being wielded by the White House with something more artful, such as a ball pein.
—The Denver Post Editorial Board, The Denver Post, 3 Mar. 2025
Yet simply revoking these programs is another example of Trump reacting to complicated issues with a sledgehammer approach.
—Orlando Sentinel and Miami Herald Editorial Boards, The Orlando Sentinel, 28 Mar. 2025
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
Perhaps the most brazen took place in 1958, when two men sledgehammered the Fifth Avenue display windows in the middle of the night.
—James Barron, New York Times, 13 Jan. 2020
Should have done steel ball on window, *then* sledgehammer the door.
—Adam Lashinsky, Fortune, 25 Nov. 2019
See All Example Sentences for sledgehammer
Recent Examples of Synonyms for sledgehammer
Noun
-
The Reverso watch was made especially for polo players who could flip the case to protect the dial from the swinging wooden mallets, and fast-flying balls.—
Samantha Conti,
Footwear News,
1 Apr. 2025
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Despite playing with a cast on his right pinky for the last three weeks, Holiday is shooting 38.6% from deep since returning from his mallet finger injury and 9-for-13 over his last two games.—
Zack Cox,
Boston Herald,
1 Apr. 2025
Adjective
-
Orlando Sentinel Historically, the heavy-handed lobbying tactics have been effective with both parties.—
Scott Maxwell,
Orlando Sentinel,
25 Mar. 2025
-
Many point out that while his concerns about academics and responsibilities are valid, his approach was heavy-handed and unfair — especially toward the girlfriend.—
Ashley Vega,
People.com,
4 Apr. 2025
Verb
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Rattan appears in just the stool and card table, while complementary materials like raffia, caning, and jute help anchor the room with a neutral foundation.—
Monika Biegler Eyers,
Better Homes & Gardens,
14 Mar. 2025
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Furnishings vary from room to room, featuring different styles of settees, including some made from caning and wicker materials.—
Lori Weisberg,
The Mercury News,
7 Feb. 2025
Noun
-
Tariffs hammer tech Premarket moves among the Magnificent Seven tech stocks were broadly lower Wednesday, with Tesla (TSLA+17.81%) off 1% and Apple slipping 2% in early trading.—
Catherine Baab,
Quartz,
9 Apr. 2025
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Over the last few years, Deadheads have reveled in videos of Weir working out in gyms and in the great outdoors with various weights and hammers.—
Rolling Stone,
Rolling Stone,
20 Mar. 2025
Adjective
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Cooper was obsessed with the New World Order and the actions of jackbooted government enforcers against the Branch Davidians in Waco, Texas, and white separatist Randy Weaver at Ruby Ridge, Idaho.—
Andrew Stuttaford,
WSJ,
19 Sep. 2018
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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
Verb
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Police said evidence found at the scene indicated the man was stabbed near a bus stop in the 100 block of 11th Street.—
Harry Harris,
Mercury News,
7 Apr. 2025
-
Austin’s father, Jeff Metcalf, said he was stabbed in the heart and died in his twin brother’s arms.—
Shambhavi Rimal,
Fort Worth Star-Telegram,
7 Apr. 2025
Noun
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Cardoso picked up the baton from opening chef Ed Tinoco last summer, and has not looked back.—
Kristin L. Wolfe,
Forbes.com,
6 Apr. 2025
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One police officer used a speaker to order protesters to move onto the sidewalk as other officers stood in the street, batons in hand.—
Katie Langford,
The Denver Post,
18 Mar. 2025
Adjective
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Plan Your Trip Charleston, South Carolina The Holy City may be blanketed in humidity in the height of summer, but Charlestonians have figured out all the best ways to deal with the oppressive air.—
Lydia Mansel,
Southern Living,
4 Apr. 2025
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Yet history provides no shortage of examples of human courage, even under the most oppressive circumstances.—
Josh Hammer,
MSNBC Newsweek,
1 Apr. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Sledgehammer.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/sledgehammer. Accessed 15 Apr. 2025.
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