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

---

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]

---

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

hammer out

As negotiators have worked around the clock to hammer out a deal, some Canadians are expressing concern with what is - and what isn't - on the table.

From BBC ● Aug. 21, 2026

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

Iran, Britain, France, Russia, and China—to hammer out the 157 pages of the nuclear deal back in 2015.

From Slate ● Jun. 17, 2026

So I went where I always go when I don’t know what to do—I headed for the library to organize my thoughts and hammer out a battle plan.

From "Liar, Liar" by Gary Paulsen

Related Words

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