take up arms

Idioms  

1. Also, take up the cudgels. Become involved in a conflict, either physical or verbal, as in The Kurds took up arms against the Iranians at least two centuries ago, or Some believe it's the vice-president's job to take up the cudgels for the president. The first term originated in the 1400s in the sense of going to war. The variant, alluding to cudgels as weapons, has been used figuratively since the mid-1600s and is probably obsolescent.

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Example Sentences

Journal cameras went inside the homes of LRU members to understand why regular Lithuanian citizens would take up arms and dedicate their free evenings and weekends to prepare for war.

From The Wall Street Journal

Prosecutors are seeking a 34-year jail term for Castillo, who previously said he never took up arms against the state because the military refused his orders.

From BBC

Paramilitary groups emerged in Colombia in the 1980s to fight Marxist guerrillas that had taken up arms against the state.

From Barron's

It maintains it took up arms to protect the rights of the minority Tutsi group in DR Congo.

From BBC

As he removes his gas mask, Bartek says he thinks most Poles "will take up arms" if attacked, "and be ready to defend the country."

From BBC

Related Words

• defy
• overthrow
• renounce
• resist
• revolt
• secede