Synonyms

fighting words

Idioms

A statement bound to start a quarrel or fight. It is often expressed as them's fighting words, as in You say your father's smarter than mine? Them's fighting words. The ungrammatical use of them's for “those are” emphasizes the folksy tone of this colloquialism, first recorded in Ring Lardner's Gullible's Travels (1917).

Example Sentences

Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.

fighting words

He departs with fighting words about the desire within the squad to make amends.

From BBC ● Nov. 12, 2026

In Michigan, home to about 240,000 Muslims, these are fighting words.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 24, 2026

The union’s fighting words are one reason why the studios are preparing for the worst.

From Los Angeles Times ● Apr. 10, 2023

From the typically staid and restrained Department of Justice, these are fighting words.

From Slate ● Jan. 27, 2023

In spite of her brave deed and fighting words, she was frightened.

From "Without Refuge" by Jane Mitchell

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Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023