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low blow

SEE MORE SYNONYMS FOR low blow ON THESAURUS.COM

noun

(in boxing) an illegal blow below the waist of an opponent.

an unfair or unsportsmanlike criticism or attack.

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RELATED WORDS

Origin of low blow

First recorded in 1950–55

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2019

Idioms and Phrases with low blow

low blow

An unscrupulous attack; an insult. For example, When my roommate moved out without a word of warning, leaving me to pay the entire rent, that was a low blow, or She wanted to win the argument, but bringing up his failed marriage was a low blow. This term alludes to the illegal practice of hitting an opponent in boxing below the belt. [c. 1950]

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