come to blows

Idioms  

1. Begin to fight. For example, It hardly seems worth coming to blows over a dollar! Thomas Hobbes had it in Leviathan (1651): “Their controversie must either come to blowes, or be undecided.” This term is also put as fall to blows, especially in Britain. [Late 1500s]

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Example Sentences

It’s “monkey see, monkey do,” she said, adding that she’s seen people nearly come to blows after drivers cut the line to snag a valuable spot.

From The Wall Street Journal • Oct. 12, 2025

If they come to blows it will be a mismatch, especially since the taller guy is wearing a helmet and carrying a stick.

From Los Angeles Times • Apr. 21, 2025

And even if they don't come to blows, the mere fact of racing can bring competitors into play - as happened to McLaren at the Italian Grand Prix last year.

From BBC • Mar. 23, 2025

But Medellín Legorreta worries the two heavyweights may come to blows as forest fragmentation worsens and climate change brings further warming and prolonged droughts.

From Science Magazine • Oct. 11, 2023

But Haie is rather the executive arm, operating under Kat’s orders when things come to blows.

From "All Quiet on the Western Front: A Novel" by Erich Maria Remarque