adj, noun, verb ·Moderate ·College level
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"These were succeeded by anchor and chain-cable forges, where sledgehammers were dinging upon iron all day long."
"Some lawmakers were so incensed that they even invited the news media to watch the sledgehammering of the Japanese company's products on the Capitol's steps."
"Promising new treatments avoid the sledgehammer approach of traditional chemotherapy in two key ways.""
"Something really should be done about the problem, but this is cracking a nut with a sledgehammer."
A hammer that consists of a large, heavy, broad and flat block of metal (the head) attached to a handle typically 0.5 meter to 1 meter long. The sledgehammer's design is meant to allow it to be swung powerfully, and to distribute force over a wide area upon impact.
Common synonyms include: maul, bang, baste, batter, beat, beat.
Something really should be done about the problem, but this is cracking a nut with a sledgehammer.
Pronounced /ˈslɛd͡ʒhæmə/.
Compound of sledge + hammer.