up in arms

1. Angry, rebellious, as in The town was up in arms over the state's plan to allow commercial flights at the air base. This idiom originally referred to an armed rebellion and was so used from the late 1500s. Its figurative use dates from about 1700.

Example Sentences

But consumer expert Martin Lewis said he was "up in arms" over the move, which was "making a mockery of Ofcom".

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Members of Parliament are up in arms because men they believe spied on them won’t face trial.

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Some critics are up in arms over what they call the “Beverly Hills carve-out.”

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"Even Reform voters will be up in arms about the idea," Hendry predicts.

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“The citizens in those cities would be up in arms. They would be aghast that there are soldiers patrolling their streets.”

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