throw down the gauntlet
To issue a challenge.
Meaning adapted from Wiktionary, available under CC BY-SA 4.0.
“He threw down the gauntlet and challenged me to a race.”
“The rival company threw down the gauntlet by releasing a cheaper product, forcing us to improve our own designs.”
“By publicly questioning the integrity of the committee, the young senator effectively threw down the gauntlet, signaling the start of a long and bitter political struggle.”
From the late mediaeval custom of issuing a formal challenge. The English phrase dates to the 1540s, deriving from the French *jeter le gant*, an act where a knight would drop his armoured glove to the ground to invite combat. Figurative use appeared by the 18th century, by which time the physical gauntlet had largely been replaced by the verbal invitation to a duel.
While the English idiom preserves the aggressive intent of the challenge, the French original has undergone a shift in sentiment. In modern French, *jeter le gant* usually means to give up after having tried hard, effectively leaving the challenge to any takers who might follow. The English version remains rather more confrontational, though the risk of being struck by heavy metal is now purely metaphorical.
- 01
lock someone up and throw away the key
To lock someone up in prison indefinitely.
- 02
run the gauntlet
To undergo a series of tests or challenges.
- 03
stone's throw
A short distance, roughly equivalent to how far a person can throw a stone.
- 04
take up the gauntlet
To accept a challenge.
- 05
throw a bone to
To provide support or assistance to, especially in one particular way or to a limited extent; to make a concession to.
- 06
throw a fit
To become angry, enraged, or upset; to act or react with an outburst, as by shouting, swearing, etc.
- 07
throw a kiss
To kiss one's hand, then make a gesture as if one was throwing the kiss in a direction towards the recipient.
- 08
throw a monkey wrench in the works
Synonym of throw a spanner in the works.
Last updated August 10, 2026