at loggerheads

Cultural  

1. Engaged in a head-on dispute: “Labor and management are at loggerheads in this affair, and it may be some time before they can negotiate a settlement.”

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at loggerheads Idioms  

1. Engaged in a quarrel or dispute, as in The two families were always at loggerheads, making it difficult to celebrate holidays together. This term may have come from some earlier meaning of loggerhead, referring either to a blockhead or stupid person, or to a long-handled iron poker with a bulb-shaped end that was heated in the fire and used to melt pitch. If it was the latter, it may have been alluded to as a weapon. [Late 1600s] For a synonym, see at odds.

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Example Sentences

See Examples For:

at loggerheads

Uefa, which has been at loggerheads with Fifa over a number of issues, strongly criticised the decision on Monday, calling it "unprecedented, incomprehensible and unjustifiable".

From BBC ● Jul. 7, 2026

The Republic is thus at loggerheads with itself.

From Los Angeles Times ● Jul. 1, 2026

More than a year later, they are at loggerheads on a major potential fix that could cost $50,000 per airplane.

From The Wall Street Journal ● May 31, 2026

Signatories of the landmark nuclear non-proliferation treaty began a meeting Monday at the United Nations as fears of a renewed arms race escalate, with atomic powers again at loggerheads over safeguards.

From Barron's ● Apr. 27, 2026

At the moment, the tempestuous quarrels have subsided; only Dussel and the van Daans are still at loggerheads.

From "The Diary of a Young Girl" by Anne Frank

Related Words

• aggressive
• antagonistic
• bellicose
• combative
• contentious
• hostile
• ornery
• quarrelsome