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hammer and sickle
noun
: an emblem consisting of a crossed hammer and sickle used especially as a symbol of Soviet Communism
Examples of hammer and sickle in a Sentence
Recent Examples on the Web
The claim: Communist Party USA endorsed Biden for president
An April 14 Facebook post (direct link, archive link) claims President Joe Biden, a Democrat, has won the support of another political party – one with a hammer and sickle logo.
—Joedy McCreary, USA TODAY, 19 Apr. 2024
Wrapped around it are curved forms, wiry and metallic, their composition looking strangely like a shattered hammer and sickle — an emblem of proletarian solidarity between agricultural and industrial workers in the Russian state, now torn asunder.
—Christopher Knight, Los Angeles Times, 28 Dec. 2023
Trucks and vans marked with a hammer and sickle poured out of the gates.
—Elettra Pauletto, Harper's Magazine, 11 Dec. 2023
Workers dismantled the part of the shield featuring the Soviet hammer and sickle and wheat beginning in late July.
—Sammy Westfall, Washington Post, 7 Aug. 2023
After four games, the chess federation, FIDE, made a ruling: There would be no flag — neither Karpov’s hammer and sickle nor Kasparov’s tri-color.
—Jay Nordlinger, National Review, 22 June 2023
Its flag still bears the Soviet hammer and sickle.
—NBC News, 29 Apr. 2022
Those who believe the game is propaganda point to things like Atomic Heart’s aesthetic: a utopian USSR where red banners adorned with hammer and sickles are a frequent part of the scenery.
—Kalhan Rosenblatt, NBC News, 3 Mar. 2023
Built in 1981, regarded by critics as a piece of Russian propaganda and derided as an attempt to oppress Ukrainian culture, the Motherland figure in my picture held a shield emblazoned with a Soviet hammer and sickle.
—Los Angeles Times, 4 Mar. 2023
These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'hammer and sickle.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.
Word History
First Known Use
1921, in the meaning defined above
Time Traveler
The first known use of hammer and sickle was
in 1921
Articles Related to hammer and sickle
Dictionary Entries Near hammer and sickle
Cite this Entry
“Hammer and sickle.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/hammer%20and%20sickle. Accessed 15 Jul. 2024.
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