hammerhead
noun
ham·mer·head
ˈha-mər-ˌhed 
1
: the striking part of a hammer
2
3
: any of a family (Sphyrnidae) of active voracious medium-sized sharks that have the eyes at the ends of lateral extensions of the flattened head see shark illustration
Examples of hammerhead in a Sentence
we despair of ever getting those hammerheads to buckle their seat belts without prodding
Recent Examples on the Web
When the full beams are switched on, the hammerhead elements separate horizontally to reveal the headlights.
—
Doug Newcomb, PCMAG, 14 Jan. 2025
Small hammerhead sharks like Sphyrna alleni have long been misidentified in fisheries across the region, which has led to overfishing and population declines.
—Melissa Cristina Marquez, Forbes, 23 Sep. 2024
And, brother, are there a lot of varieties — hammerhead shark, walking shark, whale shark, tawny nurse shark, pajama shark, pelagic thresher, tiger shark, tasselled wobbegong shark, puffadder shy shark, baby shark, mommy shark and daddy shark, to name but a few.
—Robert Lloyd, Los Angeles Times, 3 July 2025
Researchers examined the feeding and habitat patterns of 62 great hammerhead sharks sampled between 2018 and 2025.
—Melissa Cristina Márquez, Forbes.com, 19 June 2025
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Doug Newcomb, PCMAG, 14 Jan. 2025
Small hammerhead sharks like Sphyrna alleni have long been misidentified in fisheries across the region, which has led to overfishing and population declines.
—Melissa Cristina Marquez, Forbes, 23 Sep. 2024
And, brother, are there a lot of varieties — hammerhead shark, walking shark, whale shark, tawny nurse shark, pajama shark, pelagic thresher, tiger shark, tasselled wobbegong shark, puffadder shy shark, baby shark, mommy shark and daddy shark, to name but a few.
—Robert Lloyd, Los Angeles Times, 3 July 2025
Researchers examined the feeding and habitat patterns of 62 great hammerhead sharks sampled between 2018 and 2025.
—Melissa Cristina Márquez, Forbes.com, 19 June 2025
See All Example Sentences for hammerhead
Cite this Entry
“Hammerhead.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/hammerhead. Accessed 29 Jul. 2025.
Copy CitationKids Definition
hammerhead
noun
ham·mer·head
ˈham-ər-ˌhed
: any of various active sharks of medium size that have the eyes at the ends of sideward extensions of the flattened head
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