Synonyms

have at

British

verb

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

"Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged" 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

have at Idioms

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

Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.

Each show's viewing figures have at least doubled a week later with the inclusion of repeats and on-demand viewers.

From BBC • May 17, 2026

Eliminate one fixed expense: Most households have at least one monthly expense they wouldn’t miss.

From MarketWatch • May 15, 2026

Their overall impact is still small—only 20 of Britain’s 650 parliamentary constituencies have at least 30% Muslim voters.

From The Wall Street Journal • May 7, 2026

Residents say even emergency service vehicles have at times been unable to get through.

From BBC • May 4, 2026

“Have to have at least one messy space.”

From "Piecing Me Together" by Renée Watson

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

have at

verb

Example Sentences

Related Words