hammer at
hammer at (something)
1. To strike something repeatedly The mechanic hammered at the dent in my door. I hammered at the beef with a meat tenderizer.
2. To talk about something at length, often to the listener's annoyance. Quit hammering at that topic—no one wants to hear about it anymore.
See also: hammer
Farlex Dictionary of Idioms.
hammer (away) at someone
Fig. to interrogate someone; to ask questions endlessly of someone. The cops kept hammering away at the suspect until he told them everything they wanted to know. They hammered at him for hours.
See also: hammer
hammer (away) at something
1. Lit. to continue to do a task that requires much hammering. The roofers are hammering away at the job, trying to finish before night.
2. Lit. to pound at or on something, such as a door. Who is hammering away at the door? The police are hammering at the door.
3. Fig. to dwell overly long on a point or a question. Stop hammering away at the same thing over and over. The agents asked question after question. They would not stop hammering at the issue.
See also: hammer
McGraw-Hill Dictionary of American Idioms and Phrasal Verbs.
- hammer at (something)
- hammer away at (something)
- a/the feel of (something)
- (I) wouldn't (do something) if I were you
- a straw will show which way the wind blows
- a crack at (someone or something)
- (you) wanna make something of it?
- a thing of the past
- a slew of (something)
- a bird in the hand