Idiom
cut and thrust
Meaning
The use of vehement arguments.
Meaning adapted from Wiktionary, available under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Examples
“They enjoy the cut and thrust of a good debate.”
“She handles the cut and thrust of the busy office very well.”
“I dislike the cut and thrust of family arguments during the holidays.”
“The committee meeting was intense, filled with the cut and thrust of competing ideas and sharp arguments.”
“Journalists often face the cut and thrust of political press conferences where reporters and officials argue over every detail.”
“You need a thick skin to survive the cut and thrust of high-level business negotiations where everyone wants a better deal.”
“He thrived in the cut and thrust of the courtroom, where every word served as a calculated move against his opponent.”
Examples
simple
“They enjoy the cut and thrust of a good debate.”
“She handles the cut and thrust of the busy office very well.”
“I dislike the cut and thrust of family arguments during the holidays.”
contextual
“The committee meeting was intense, filled with the cut and thrust of competing ideas and sharp arguments.”
“Journalists often face the cut and thrust of political press conferences where reporters and officials argue over every detail.”
“You need a thick skin to survive the cut and thrust of high-level business negotiations where everyone wants a better deal.”
complex
“He thrived in the cut and thrust of the courtroom, where every word served as a calculated move against his opponent.”
Origin
The term emerged as a metaphor for the technical movements of swordplay. It distinguishes between the cut, a stroke made with the edge of the blade, and the thrust, a sharp forward lunge made with the point. The construction entered English as a description of vigorous combat before being applied more broadly to the brisk exchanges of competitive debate.
Key words
Related idioms
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