# throw down the gauntlet

idiom

Source: https://englishreference.com/idiom/throw-down-the-gauntlet
Updated: 2026-08-10

## Meaning

To issue a challenge.

## Examples

- 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.

## Origin

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 Figurative use appeared by the 18th century, by which time the physical gauntlet had largely been replaced by the verbal invitation to a duel.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.

---

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.