as in to struggle
to devote serious and sustained effort
the design team has been banging away at that project for months
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Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of bang away
As several drummers banged away, Vázquez danced near a table and teammates clapped along to the music, including a spirited effort from Royce Lewis.
—
Dan Hayes, The Athletic, 16 Aug. 2024
One of the roadies came out to bang away on the piano, the notes more felt than heard, part of the noise.
—Rob Sheffield, Rolling Stone, 29 Sep. 2024
The manager demonstrated how to use the rock hammers, and then people got to banging away, trying to find opals in the rock.
—Marla Jo Fisher, Orange County Register, 31 Jan. 2024
Norton remembers banging away on his dad’s Smith Corona typewriter in the den.
—Cynthia Billhartz Gregorian, Kansas City Star, 31 Jan. 2024
There’s John in his apartment in New York City, banging away at his piano, doing a little demo.
—Lars Brandle, Billboard, 2 Nov. 2023
Show business in all its forms was the family norm for Cassidy, who as a kid often wrote songs while banging away on neighbor Rosemary Clooney’s piano as her kids played basketball with their cousin George Clooney.
—Alicia Dennis, Peoplemag, 22 June 2023
The navy is out there in the channel banging away broadsides.
—Merrie Monteagudo, San Diego Union-Tribune, 6 June 2023
Dan Hayes, The Athletic, 16 Aug. 2024
One of the roadies came out to bang away on the piano, the notes more felt than heard, part of the noise.
—Rob Sheffield, Rolling Stone, 29 Sep. 2024
The manager demonstrated how to use the rock hammers, and then people got to banging away, trying to find opals in the rock.
—Marla Jo Fisher, Orange County Register, 31 Jan. 2024
Norton remembers banging away on his dad’s Smith Corona typewriter in the den.
—Cynthia Billhartz Gregorian, Kansas City Star, 31 Jan. 2024
There’s John in his apartment in New York City, banging away at his piano, doing a little demo.
—Lars Brandle, Billboard, 2 Nov. 2023
Show business in all its forms was the family norm for Cassidy, who as a kid often wrote songs while banging away on neighbor Rosemary Clooney’s piano as her kids played basketball with their cousin George Clooney.
—Alicia Dennis, Peoplemag, 22 June 2023
The navy is out there in the channel banging away broadsides.
—Merrie Monteagudo, San Diego Union-Tribune, 6 June 2023
Recent Examples of Synonyms for bang away
Verb
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England have struggled at the latter position in recent years, and with Newcastle United’s Lewis Hall out injured until next season, Spence could be Tuchel’s best option there already.—
Oliver Kay,
The Athletic,
13 Mar. 2025
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Still, with fewer employees, the department may struggle to meet the demands of a growing number of applicants.—
Scott White,
Forbes,
13 Mar. 2025
Verb
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Patterson had labored on the project for years, enlarging it at one point into a seven episode mini-series, before shrinking it back down again.—
Brent Lang,
Variety,
9 Mar. 2025
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Also headed to Vijayawada was a group of laboring youths from Khagaria, in Bihar.—
Amitava Kumar,
The New Yorker,
8 Mar. 2025
Verb
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Kyiv has been striving to prove its readiness for peace while stressing that no deal can succeed without American security guarantees to deter repeat Russian aggression.—
David Brennan,
ABC News,
12 Mar. 2025
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Both China and Europe strive to be global leaders in the clean technology sector, for instance, and Chinese overproduction is threatening European industrial champions, particularly in the auto sector.—
Faisal Kutty,
Newsweek,
11 Mar. 2025
Verb
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The Vance memes might work against the vice president even more.—
Ali Breland,
The Atlantic,
8 Mar. 2025
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The artists worked on their own endeavors after the group disbanded in the late 1990s, which the AP attributed to creative differences, as well as miscommunication, finances, and the pressures of fame.—
Raechal Shewfelt,
EW.com,
8 Mar. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Bang away.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/bang%20away. Accessed 16 Mar. 2025.
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