fighting word

American  

noun

1. Usually fighting words. language that arouses rage in an antagonist.

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Example Sentences

We was fighting word counts, so a lot of my essay got chopped up.

From Salon

The main target of its critique is also the principal object of its affection, which we might call — using a name that has lately become something of a fighting word — cinema.

From New York Times

Where Eddy grew up in the show, the word "queer" used to be a fighting word .

From Salon

Mammography has become a fighting word in recent years, with some researchers questioning its value and others staunchly defending it.

From New York Times

Then she turned the case over and spied a fighting word: Soul, short for SoulCycle, a popular chain of cycling studios in New York and Los Angeles.

From New York Times