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hammer blow

British  

noun

  1. a blow from a hammer

  2. a severe shock or setback

    Liam's death was a hammer blow
"Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged" 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

Example Sentences

Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.

Clark said the injury was a "hammer blow" for 29-year-old Cameron, whose lone All Blacks appearance came against Japan in 2018.

From Barron's • Feb. 21, 2026

Solanke's audacious back-flicked goal was a hammer blow to second-placed City, who now trail leaders Arsenal by six points.

From Barron's • Feb. 1, 2026

But just as David feels he is finally going places, he is dealt a hammer blow from the head of the prize committee.

From The Wall Street Journal • Jan. 2, 2026

Findlay warned that a tax rise would be a "hammer blow to Scots".

From BBC • Nov. 6, 2025

It struck him like a hammer blow what must happen next.

From "Strange the Dreamer" by Laini Taylor

Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023

Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.