Idiom
go to the mat
Meaning
To continue to struggle or fight until either victorious or defeated.
Meaning adapted from Wiktionary, available under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Examples
“She is ready to go to the mat for her beliefs.”
“The lawyer promised to go to the mat for his client during the difficult trial.”
“Despite the overwhelming pressure from the board of directors, the manager decided to go to the mat for his team's original proposal.”
Examples
simple
“She is ready to go to the mat for her beliefs.”
contextual
“The lawyer promised to go to the mat for his client during the difficult trial.”
complex
“Despite the overwhelming pressure from the board of directors, the manager decided to go to the mat for his team's original proposal.”
Origin
Derived from the sport of wrestling, in which the mat serves as the padded floor of the ring. The phrase describes the physical act of being forced onto the ground during a match or, conversely, engaging in a struggle that continues until one participant is pinned.
Key words
Related idioms
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