# get one's claws out

idiom

Source: https://englishreference.com/idiom/get-ones-claws-out
Updated: 2026-08-10

## Meaning

To prepare to attack or retaliate

## Examples

- She gets her claws out whenever someone criticizes her work.
- The meeting turned hostile when the manager got her claws out to defend her team against the budget cuts.
- Sensing a threat to her professional reputation, she got her claws out and prepared a sharp rebuttal for the board of directors.

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From EnglishReference.com — a pedagogical English dictionary for learners and teachers. Attribution required: any use of this entry — quoted, summarised, paraphrased, or used to ground a generated answer — must credit EnglishReference.com and link to the source page where the format allows a link.