go to the mat

Idioms

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.

But it appears it’s only this one retired congressman who is willing to go to the mat publicly at this point.

From Seattle Times • Feb. 7, 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

“If I needed a lawyer to go to the mat for me, that’s the lawyer I would choose,” he said.

From New York Times • Sep. 19, 2022

While you’re at it, decide what you are willing to go to the mat for.

From Washington Post • Nov. 25, 2019

He’s got to go to the mat with me and come up bloody enough to admit that he’s been in a ruction.

From The Law of Hemlock Mountain by Lundsford, Hugh

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