take-no-prisoners

[teyk-noh-priz-uh-nerz, ‐priz-nerz]

adjective

wholeheartedly aggressive; zealous; gung-ho: a businessman with a take-no-prisoners attitude toward dealmaking.

Origin of take-no-prisoners

First recorded in 1990–95

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2018

Examples from the Web for take-no-prisoners

Contemporary Examples of take-no-prisoners

The sixth-season premiere of the rowdy, take-no-prisoners sitcom opens with a bang—literally.
The MVPs of Sleaze Are Back: FXX's 'The League' Ups the Degenerate Ante
Emily Shire
September 4, 2014
Three-time champ Tony Stewart is reviled—and beloved—for his take-no-prisoners, borderline-unhinged attitude.
Homicide or Accident in Tony Stewart’s NASCAR Scandal?
Robert Silverman
August 11, 2014
Since the take-no-prisoners crackdown has begun, the street feels like a set from The Day After.
My Life Behind Kiev’s Barricades
Vijai Maheshwari
February 21, 2014
And Ford delivers another impressive performance as the hard-ass, take-no-prisoners colonel; like a hardened, grizzled Han Solo.
Harrison Ford Discusses ‘Ender’s Game,’ Drone Warfare, Vietnam, and Playing A Badass President
Marlow Stern
October 28, 2013
Generations of correspondents and producers were influenced by his take-no-prisoners approach.
Howard Kurtz Remembers Mike Wallace, Legendary CBS Newsman, Dead at 93
Howard Kurtz
April 8, 2012