battering ram

American  

noun

1. an ancient military device with a heavy horizontal ram for battering down walls, gates, etc.

2. any of various similar devices, usually machine-powered, used in demolition, by police and firefighters to force entrance to a building, etc.

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battering ram British  

noun

1. (esp formerly) a large beam used to break down the walls or doors of fortifications

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Etymology

Origin of battering ram

First recorded in 1605–15

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

battering ram

While leaning on a partner for support during the holidays is natural and even healthy, using them as an emotional battering ram is not.

From MarketWatch ● Nov. 22, 2025

Henry was a battering ram for Baltimore last season; on Sunday he was barely a blip with 33 yards on 15 carries.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 6, 2025

"Dolores Claiborne" hit like a battering ram into a cultural space that offered only two conceptions of b***hery—vile monster and bad** renegade—both of which grossly failed to represent real women living hardscrabble lives.

From Salon ● Mar. 23, 2025

Glasgow hit back almost immediately, Tuipulotu arriving onto the ball like a battering ram to cut through the defence, skip past Henry Arundell and dive over to establish a 15-point advantage at the break.

From BBC ● Jan. 10, 2025

Holding on to her as tightly as he could, he used her almost as a battering ram, making a path through the mob until they could run freely toward Central Park.

From "The Dead and the Gone" by Susan Beth Pfeffer