bring down the hammer

verb

To treat very harshly.

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Meanings

verbbring down the hammer (third-person singular simple present brings down the hammer, present participle bringing down the hammer, simple past and past participle brought down the hammer)

present singular third person brings down the hammer · participle present bringing down the hammer · participle past brought down the hammer · past brought down the hammer

  1. idiomaticTo treat very harshly.
Cite this entry
APA

bring down the hammer. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 5, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/bring%20down%20the%20hammer

MLA

“bring down the hammer.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/bring%20down%20the%20hammer. Accessed November 5, 2026.

Chicago

WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “bring down the hammer,” accessed November 5, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/bring%20down%20the%20hammer.

Source: bring down the hammer on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.