Dictionary.com
Thesaurus.com
Synonyms

go to the mat

Idioms  

  1. Fight until one side or another is victorious, as in The governor said he'd go to the mat for this bill. This term comes from wrestling and evokes the holding of an opponent when both contestants are down on the mat, the padded floor-covering used in matches. It has been used figuratively since about 1900.

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.

McGuire gave labor unions credit on Monday, saying that “in California, we go to the mat for the rights of workers.”

From Los Angeles Times • Feb. 5, 2024

Were there ever things that you had to really go to the mat to fight for or that actually didn't make it?

From Salon • Nov. 29, 2023

McBee: Can I go to the mat for someone else’s pick?

From New York Times • Jun. 22, 2023

“I will go to the mat to get rid of this cap,” Pollet said.

From Seattle Times • Mar. 9, 2023

Taking Cat home had been just a passing thought, but right now I decide I’ll really go to the mat with Pop about this.

From It’s like this, cat by Neville, Emily

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

Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.