fling (throw) down the gauntlet

[ (gawnt-luht) ]


To issue a challenge: “The candidate flung down the gauntlet and challenged his opponent to a debate.” A gauntlet was a glove; the wearer would throw it to the ground to show that he was challenging an opponent to fight.

Words Nearby fling (throw) down the gauntlet

The New Dictionary of Cultural Literacy, Third Edition Copyright © 2005 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. All rights reserved.