hammerlock

Or ham·mer lock

[ham-er-lok]

noun

Wrestling.

1. a hold in which one arm of an opponent is twisted and forced upward behind his back.

hammerlock

/ ˈhæməˌlɒk /

noun

1. a wrestling hold in which a wrestler twists his opponent's arm upwards behind his back

Word History and Origins

Origin of hammerlock¹

First recorded in 1895–1900; hammer + lock ¹

Example Sentences

One night recently on ABC’s “20-20,” reporter John Stossel tried to put a hammerlock on the “sport” known as pro wrestling.

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Together, they planned to take on Google’s hammerlock on the internet.

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Mr. McConnell said a motion to vacate is akin to a “hammerlock of dysfunction” — no matter who is speaker.

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Conservatives have controlled the state’s Supreme Court since 2008, and Republicans have held a hammerlock on the Legislature since 2011, when the party drew itself an impenetrable majority after taking control in a wave election.

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Some far-flung communities — Charlotte and Minneapolis, for example — have taken steps to undo the hammerlock of single-family zoning.

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