hammer away at (something)
1. To strike something repeatedly The mechanic hammered away at the dent in my door. I hammered away at the beef with a meat tenderizer. They're still hammering away at that bed frame? Wow, I didn't realize it came in that many pieces!
2. To work hard on something persistently over time. Yes, we're still hammering away at the details of this contract. Management and the workers' union still don't have a new deal? They've been hammering away at that for weeks! Remodeling a house is a long-term project that you hammer away at slowly, over time. That's why I want to buy something that's move-in ready!
3. To talk about something at length, often to the listener's annoyance. Quit hammering away at that topic—no one wants to hear about it anymore. OK, Tom, you've made your point. No need to hammer away at it any longer. Come on, I said I was sorry! Why are you still hammering away at this?
Farlex Dictionary of Idioms. © 2024 Farlex, Inc, all rights reserved.
hammer away at
Keep at something continuously, as in The reporters hammered away at the candidate. This phrase employs hammer in the sense of "beat repeatedly," a usage dating from the mid-1600s.
The American Heritage® Dictionary of Idioms by Christine Ammer. Copyright © 2003, 1997 by The Christine Ammer 1992 Trust. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. All rights reserved.