sledgehammer
/ˈslɛdʒˌhæmər/
verb
- To hit or break something with a sledgehammer.
- They sledgehammered the old fireplace to remove it.
- The workers sledgehammered the ice blocking the road.
- He sledgehammered the metal post into the frozen ground.
- To criticize or attack someone or something very harshly or forcefully.
- During the debate, she sledgehammered her opponent's arguments.
- The critic sledgehammered the movie in his review.
- The newspaper sledgehammered the government's new policy.
noun
- A large, heavy hammer with a long handle, used for breaking hard objects or driving in stakes.
- The construction worker swung the sledgehammer to drive the post into the ground.
- With one powerful blow of the sledgehammer, the old wall crumbled.
- He used a sledgehammer to break up the concrete driveway.
- A very forceful or extreme action or method, especially one that is more powerful than needed.
- Firing the employee for a small mistake was like using a sledgehammer to crack a nut.
- The new law is a sledgehammer that will hurt small businesses.
- Sometimes a gentle reminder works better than a sledgehammer approach.