duke it out
In real, traceable use. Part of the curated seed collection; community review is coming.
Sense 1
Meaning · English
To fight, especially with the fists.
Register: informal
Where it’s used:
Used
American English
Examples
A large crowd came to watch the boxers duke it out.
Usage example from English Wiktionary (CC BY-SA 4.0, retrieved 2026-07-30)
Sources & notes
Adapted from English Wiktionary (CC BY-SA 4.0, retrieved 2026-07-30 via kaikki.org). Figurative class: Metaphor (PIE-English corpus, CC BY 4.0, retrieved 2026-07-31).
Sense 2
Meaning · English
To argue heavily or at length.
Register: informal
Sources & notes
Adapted from English Wiktionary (CC BY-SA 4.0, retrieved 2026-07-30 via kaikki.org).
Common questions
What does “duke it out” mean?
To fight, especially with the fists.
Is “duke it out” formal or informal?
duke it out is generally informal.