Definition

Noun: 1. A wrestling hold: A specific grappling control technique where one wrestler seizes an opponent's arm and forcefully twists it upward behind the opponent's back, applying pressure to the shoulder joint to force submission or gain control.

Usage Examples

• The wrestler applied a tight hammerlock, forcing his opponent to tap out quickly.
• Securing a hammerlock is an effective way to control an opponent from behind.
• The referee intervened when the hammerlock looked dangerous.

Advanced Usage

• "to have someone in a hammerlock": To have someone under one's complete physical control or, metaphorically, in a position of dominance or coercion.
  • The new regulations have the industry in a hammerlock, limiting its options for growth.

Variants and Related Words

• Arm lock (n): A general term for any wrestling hold that applies pressure to an opponent's arm. A hammerlock is a specific type of arm lock.
• Full nelson (n): Another wrestling hold involving control of both arms from behind.

Synonyms

• Wrestling hold, arm lock, control hold.

Related Idioms

• "In a (tight) spot": While not directly derived from the word, being in a hammerlock is a literal example of being in a difficult, inescapable position, similar to this idiom's meaning.

Noun

1. a wrestling hold in which the opponent's arm is twisted up behind his back