have at

British  

verb

1. archaic (intr, preposition) to make an opening attack on, esp in fencing

---

have at Idioms  

1. Attack; also, make an attempt at. For example, Urging the dog on, he said, “Go on, Rover, have at him,” or It's time to have at straightening out these files. [Late 1300s]

---

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

have at

Just prep a variety of proteins and vegetables ahead of time and have at it.

From Salon ● Jul. 12, 2026

Many of the teams that have had success in this tournament have at least one player — Mbappé, Haaland, Lionel Messi, Harry Kane — who can change the game on their own.

From Los Angeles Times ● Jul. 12, 2026

This couple of months is the delay that we have at the moment.

From BBC ● Jul. 4, 2026

Each month I need to have at least $5,000 for my expenses, so I can only afford to put in a maximum of 8%.

From MarketWatch ● Jun. 29, 2026

It was kind of too bad, I thought, that I didn’t have at least one of her chicks left to turn that hawk-chicken to stone.

From "Unusual Chickens for the Exceptional Poultry Farmer" by Kelly Jones

Related Words

• challenge
• contend
• contest
• contradict
• deny
• discuss
• disprove
• doubt
• quarrel
• rebut
• refute
• wrangle