to hammer home
9
4.4
- phrasal verb
- /ˈhæmər hoʊm/
- The teacher always tries to hammer home the importance of studying for exams.
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Watch on YouTubeAlso, I try to really hammer this home when I'm speaking as Trump.
- Also, I try to really hammer this home when I'm speaking as Trump.
- So we have the purpose of me really hammering home that point with people is to get them to realize that you have many identities.
- It that was was hammered home in those years.
- So yeah, just to just to hammer home how how damaging to a task can be contact shifting, like you say, it seems trivial, but it I've noticed a huge effect.
Examples
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During the meeting, he hammered home the need for better communication within the team.
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She hammered home her argument by presenting several strong examples.
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And I'm just trying to hammer home the point that these are related.
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And again, I really need to hammer home this man married his cousin, his second cousin.
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The point was hammered home with passion.
Fiction book (2000) -
His speech would use the key terms that rated well with dial testing and repeatedly hammer them home.
Blog text (8) -
The candidates don't discuss issues in depth, but rather they try to stay on their message and hammer home their three main selling points.
Blog text (14) -
It's great advice, and it also hammers home the fact that freelancing is not exactly a slam dunk into your checking account.
Blog text (1) -
One of the first things that is hammered home in mathematical logic courses is that a false premise can produce any answer.
Blog text (22) -
Now, before I conclude, I’d like to read three quotes from Lenin that hammer home many of the points of this talk.
Blog text (23)
Synonyms
45
5.5
To make someone suddenly understand how serious something is
25
4.0
To make a point very clear by saying it strongly
5
6.7
Have a strong effect that makes someone suddenly understand
1
4.6
Repeat something many times so a person remembers it
1
7.4
To say something clearly and strongly so people understand it
1
6.1
Make a point strongly so other people understand or accept it
Antonyms
How Strongly
9
4.4
- US
321
3.7
301
3.3
∞
1.8
∞
1.0
Surface Forms
Morphology
The verb 'hammer' (to strike repeatedly) plus 'home' (as in 'drive/bring home' meaning to make clear) yields a metaphorical image of repeatedly driving a point to its target. While learners can partly infer emphasis from the literal constituents, the specific sense 'emphasize strongly/make very clear' relies on a metaphorical use of 'home' and is not fully predictable, so prior exposure helps.
Etymology
The phrase hammer home comes from the literal image of using a hammer to drive a nail home, hitting it again and again until it is firm. So, to 'hammer home' an idea means to repeat or stress it until everyone understands.