gauntlet
1a medieval glove, as of mail or plate, worn by a knight in armor to protect the hand.
a glove with an extended cuff for the wrist.
the cuff itself.
Idioms about gauntlet
take up the gauntlet / glove,
to accept a challenge to fight: He was always willing to take up the gauntlet for a good cause.
to show one's defiance.
throw down the gauntlet / glove,
to challenge.
to defy.
Origin of gauntlet
1Other words from gauntlet
- gaunt·let·ed, adjective
- un·gaunt·let·ed, adjective
Words Nearby gauntlet
Other definitions for gauntlet (2 of 2)
a former punishment, chiefly military, in which the offender was made to run between two rows of men who struck at him with switches or weapons as he passed.
the two rows of men administering this punishment.
an attack from two or all sides.
trying conditions; an ordeal.
Origin of gauntlet
2Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
How to use gauntlet in a sentence
Both cases, you’ve got to run through this gauntlet of regulations.
“The politics of the situation here is that this is Paytm throwing down the gauntlet to Google,” Medianama notes.
Tech firms in India coalesce around a common foe: Google’s ‘monopoly’ | Grady McGregor | October 6, 2020 | FortuneWhich means SaaS and cloud companies have made it through a somewhat steep gauntlet largely unscathed.
SaaS stocks survive earnings, keeping the market warm for software startups, exits | Alex Wilhelm | August 28, 2020 | TechCrunchTwo teams are competing for the chance to go through that gauntlet to get the deal.
Politics Report: What Comes Next for Sports Arena | Scott Lewis and Andrew Keatts | July 11, 2020 | Voice of San DiegoIf I’m going, it’s not to say, “Look, we’re throwing down the gauntlet, and this is now a purely adversarial relationship.”
Will Covid-19 Spark a Cold War (or Worse) With China? (Ep. 414) | Stephen J. Dubner | April 23, 2020 | Freakonomics
The Infinity Stones are six magical stones that, when inserted into the Infinity gauntlet, grant the wearer infinite power.
Inside Marvel’s Phase 3: How ‘The Avengers’ Cross Paths with Black Panther and the New Superheroes | Marlow Stern | October 30, 2014 | THE DAILY BEASTIf she sat out 2016, the odds on favorite would probably be another veteran of the primary gauntlet, Vice President Joe Biden.
Yes, Pundits, Hillary Has the 2016 Nomination in the Bag | Robert Shrum | February 18, 2014 | THE DAILY BEASTThis group of men had formed an angry gauntlet in front of the clinic.
He may have reservations about going through that [gauntlet] drill again.
Friday Night Lights Out: The Concussion Debate Hits the Texas Youth Leagues | Pete Freedman | October 26, 2013 | THE DAILY BEASTStudents who survive the gauntlet and make it into college face a whole new set of challenges.
The Not-So-Bright Future of Palestine's Class of 2013 | Maysoon Zayid | June 21, 2013 | THE DAILY BEASTHe saw Black Hood's gauntlet gloved hand closed on the handle of the knife that was thrust into Joseph's neck.
Black Hood slapped him hard across the side of the face with his gauntlet covered hand.
It showed Black Hood's gauntlet covered right hand grasping the knife that was plunged into Joseph's throat.
He had run the gauntlet through rows of pointed steel, and now new horrors awaited him.
The Philippine Islands | John ForemanGo either way, and he in the majority of instances must run the gauntlet of the slave states.
British Dictionary definitions for gauntlet (1 of 2)
gantlet
/ (ˈɡɔːntlɪt) /
a medieval armoured leather glove
a heavy glove with a long cuff
take up the gauntlet to accept a challenge
throw down the gauntlet to offer a challenge
Origin of gauntlet
1British Dictionary definitions for gauntlet (2 of 2)
/ (ˈɡɔːntlɪt) /
a punishment in which the victim is forced to run between two rows of men who strike at him as he passes: formerly a military punishment
run the gauntlet
to suffer this punishment
to endure an onslaught or ordeal, as of criticism
a testing ordeal; trial
a variant spelling of gantlet 1 (def. 1)
Origin of gauntlet
2Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012
Other Idioms and Phrases with gauntlet
see run the gauntlet; throw down the gauntlet.
The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary Copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
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