Meaning & use

hammerlock

noun·Advanced

A wrestling hold in which an opponent's arm is twisted and forced up behind their back.

See it in a sentence

The wrestler locked his opponent into a hammerlock to force a quick submission.

He escaped the hammerlock just before the referee could call the match.

A note on using this word

Hammerlock is also used figuratively for a situation where someone has total control over another, as in a hammerlock on the market.

Words with a similar meaning

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