take up arms

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.

Example Sentences

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.

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"He took up arms against the United States, misappropriated funds, and was ultimately captured and imprisoned by his own troops."

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

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Opposition supporters took up arms and the country descended into civil war.

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His backing of the concept of Ivoirité, or Ivorieness, pushed soldiers in the north to take up arms and the country was divided in two.

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Related Words

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