throw a punch

Idioms  

1. Deliver a blow with the first, as in He was furious enough to throw a punch at the other driver. This term originated in boxing but has been extended to less formal fisticuffs as well. [First half of 1900s]

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Example Sentences

“We are not allowed to throw a punch until we get hit. In any emergency, we are bound hand and foot because we set advanced limits on ourselves about when to respond.”

From Washington Post • Apr. 15, 2023

Reinforcing that Beniers-Wright focus, the Kraken last week added a free-agent center in John Hayden regarded as much for his ability to throw a punch as putting the puck in the net.

From Seattle Times • Jul. 19, 2022

England "didn't throw a punch" in their defeat against 14-man Australia, hooker Jamie George says.

From BBC • Jul. 2, 2022

In return, Miyagi can pass down important life lessons to a second son, including how to throw a punch, the right way and for the right reasons.

From Salon • Jun. 17, 2018

“I’m gonna love being a dad. I’ll get to teach my kid how to throw a punch and a football. It’s going to be fun.”

From "We Are the Ants" by Shaun David Hutchinson