sledgehammer

[ slej-ham-er ]

noun

1. a large heavy hammer wielded with both hands.

verb (used with or without object)

1. to hammer, beat, or strike with or as if with a sledgehammer.

adjective

1. crudely or ruthlessly forceful; lacking all dexterity or grace:

   the artist's sledgehammer approach.

sledgehammer

/ ˈslɛdʒˌhæmə /

noun

1. a large heavy hammer with a long handle used with both hands for heavy work such as forging iron, breaking rocks, etc
2. modifier resembling the action of a sledgehammer in power, ruthlessness, etc

   a sledgehammer blow

verb

1. tr to strike (something) with or as if with a sledgehammer

Word History and Origins

Origin of sledgehammer¹

First recorded in 1485–95; sledge ² + hammer

Word History and Origins

Origin of sledgehammer¹

C15 sledge, from Old English slecg a large hammer; related to Old Norse sleggja, Middle Dutch slegge

Example Sentences

Throughout the winter, they swam together frequently, breaking the ice with sledgehammers on particularly cold days.

From Outside Online

At the most basic, the gear can include items like a sledgehammer, pry bar, and steel pipe.

From Popular-Science

So what I’m suggesting is a self-administered sledgehammer to the ideas or values behind your grievance.

From Washington Post

Beside the sledgehammer threat of the PPP tax issue, several other emergency programs for small businesses are scheduled to expire at year-end unless Congress extends them.

From Fortune

Even before the sledgehammer blow of the pandemic hit publishers, their ad revenue was being eaten away by the global tech giants.

From Digiday

I remember seeing that scene with the sledgehammer and being pretty shocked when I was younger.

From The Daily Beast

On Thursday Sledgehammer games released a teaser for the “new era” of Call of Duty, which is set for release this November.

From The Daily Beast

Democrats, until this week wholly on the defensive, have now been handed a huge sledgehammer.

From The Daily Beast

And not only has France failed to mend, it has picked up a sledgehammer.

From The Daily Beast

Ugh, that scene where she puts the block of wood in between his ankles and just smashes them with a sledgehammer … Ugh.

From The Daily Beast

One was the presence of a German shepherd dog in the laboratory, its head crushed as if with a sledgehammer.

From Project Gutenberg

Dark, and shining like wet rubber, the shape resembled nothing so much as that of a great, double-headed sledgehammer.

From Project Gutenberg

For myself, though I received only a backhanded blow on the chest, I staggered as if I had been struck with a sledgehammer.

From Project Gutenberg

Not one of his sledgehammer smashes reached their mark, and the round closed without a blow having landed.

From Project Gutenberg

Up went a sledgehammer hand, coated with red hair, to scratch the heavy jowl contemplatively, and Max thought of a gorilla.

From Project Gutenberg