: a hammer with a typically barrel-shaped head: such as
a
: a tool with a large head for driving another tool or for striking a surface without marring it
b
: a long-handled wooden implement used for striking a ball (as in polo or croquet)
c
: a light hammer with a small rounded or spherical usually padded head used in playing certain musical instruments (such as a vibraphone)
Examples of mallet in a Sentence
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From butcher knives to mallets to plates, Eve and her assailant use just about everything but the kitchen sink against one another, including the kitchen cooler.
—
Michileen Martin, MSNBC Newsweek, 20 May 2025
The Penzance Musical, an exquisitely funny, meticulously concocted theatrical pavlova—the 1879 operetta The Pirates of Penzance by W. S. Gilbert and Arthur Sullivan—has been whacked with a mallet.
—Sara Holdren, Vulture, 25 Apr. 2025
Holiday, who has sported a cast on his right pinky since suffering a mallet finger injury in late February, scored 39 points over his last two outings, going 9-for-13 from 3-point range.
—Zack Cox, Boston Herald, 2 Apr. 2025
Spectators crowded the sidelines, cheering intensely for their team with each thwack of the croquet mallet.
—Tyrone Turner, NPR, 12 Apr. 2025
See All Example Sentences for mallet
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Michileen Martin, MSNBC Newsweek, 20 May 2025
The Penzance Musical, an exquisitely funny, meticulously concocted theatrical pavlova—the 1879 operetta The Pirates of Penzance by W. S. Gilbert and Arthur Sullivan—has been whacked with a mallet.
—Sara Holdren, Vulture, 25 Apr. 2025
Holiday, who has sported a cast on his right pinky since suffering a mallet finger injury in late February, scored 39 points over his last two outings, going 9-for-13 from 3-point range.
—Zack Cox, Boston Herald, 2 Apr. 2025
Spectators crowded the sidelines, cheering intensely for their team with each thwack of the croquet mallet.
—Tyrone Turner, NPR, 12 Apr. 2025
See All Example Sentences for mallet
Cite this Entry
“Mallet.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/mallet. Accessed 4 Jun. 2025.
Copy CitationKids Definition
mallet
noun
mal·let
ˈmal-ət 
: a hammer usually with a barrel-shaped head: as
a
: one with a large head used for driving a tool (as a chisel) or for striking a surface without damaging it
b
: a club for striking a ball (as in croquet or polo)
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