hammer out

British  

verb

1. to shape or remove with or as if with a hammer

2. to form or produce (an agreement, plan, etc) after much discussion or dispute

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hammer out Idioms  

1. Work out with considerable effort, as in It took weeks of negotiations to hammer out an acceptable compromise. This usage likens intellectual effort to shaping metal with the blows of a hammer. [Mid-1700s]

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Example Sentences

See Examples For:

hammer out

Negotiations with Mexico and Canada tend to advance on parallel tracks before the three partners hammer out final details in the last stages of negotiations.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 1, 2026

Stock futures were falling on Sunday after tensions flared up between the U.S. and Iran even as the two sides met in Switzerland to hammer out a permanent peace deal.

From Barron's ● Jun. 21, 2026

The White House is racing to hammer out policies while the tech world and moral authorities chime in.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Jun. 19, 2026

Then everyone got together in a big room to hammer out their disagreements.

From Slate ● Apr. 28, 2026

Now, he was holding a hammer out to Cari.

From "Out of Darkness" by Ashley Hope Pérez

Related Words

• establish
• negotiate
• settle
• thrash out
• work out