Meaning & use
hammerlock
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Meanings
nouncountablesport
A wrestling hold in which one arm is bent and pushed upward behind the opponent's back.
Grammar: Often used with in or put someone in a hammerlock.
Patterns
- put someone in a hammerlock
- in a hammerlock
The wrestler put his opponent in a hammerlock and forced him to the mat.
He escaped the hammerlock by rolling to one side.
The referee warned him that the hammerlock was a dangerous hold.
nounsingularfigurative
A situation in which someone or something has such strong control over another that there is little room to act.
Grammar: Used figuratively, usually with on: a hammerlock on the market.
Patterns
- a hammerlock on something
Two companies had a hammerlock on the local cable market.
The union's hammerlock on the factory made change almost impossible.
verbtransitiveinformal
To hold a person's arm bent up behind their back so that they cannot move.
Grammar: Takes an object: the guard hammerlocked the intruder.
Patterns
- hammerlock someone
The officer hammerlocked the runner and held him until help arrived.
He hammerlocked his brother in a playful wrestling match.
Word forms
| plural | hammerlocks |
|---|---|
| third person singular | hammerlocks |
| past tense | hammerlocked |
| -ing form | hammerlocking |
Common combinations
- put someone in a hammerlock
- He put his friend in a hammerlock for fun.
- a hammerlock on the market
- The firm had a hammerlock on the market.
- escape a hammerlock
- She escaped the hammerlock with a quick turn.
- apply a hammerlock
- The coach showed how to apply a hammerlock safely.
- full hammerlock
- The opponent was caught in a full hammerlock.
Synonyms and how they differ
- armlock
- This is a general term for any hold that twists the arm, while hammerlock is one specific arm-behind-the-back hold.
- stranglehold
- This is a hold or control that chokes, and figuratively suggests a stronger, more suffocating grip than hammerlock.
- chokehold
- This presses on the neck, so it describes a different physical hold from a hammerlock.
- grip
- This is a general word for tight control, whereas hammerlock is a specific wrestling image.
Word family
- lock noun
- a device for fastening, or a tight hold in wrestling
- hammerlock verb
- to apply the hold to someone
- headlock noun
- a hold around the head
Commonly confused: hammerlock or half nelson?
hammerlock vs half nelson
A half nelson is a wrestling hold that uses one arm under the opponent's arm and presses on the neck, which differs from the hammerlock's arm behind the back.
Practice
The champion twisted his rival's arm up behind his back, trapping him in a painful ____.
Choose one answer.
A hammerlock bends an arm up behind the back. A headlock grips the head, a bear hug squeezes the torso, and a chokehold presses on the neck.
Make it your own
Write a sentence using “hammerlock”, then check it and compare it with the examples above.