English · Idiom Attested

take up the cudgels

In real, traceable use. Part of the curated seed collection; community review is coming.

Both English Tiếng Việt

Meaning · English

Start to support.

Nghĩa · Tiếng Việt

Bắt đầu hỗ trợ

Machine-translated — suggest a fix

Where it’s used: Used Widespread English

Sources & notes

Listed in Wiktionary’s “English idioms” category (retrieved 2026-07-29); definition pending editorial review. Figurative class: Metaphor (PIE-English corpus, CC BY 4.0, retrieved 2026-07-31).

Common questions

What does “take up the cudgels” mean?

Start to support.

Is “take up the cudgels” formal or informal?

No register label has been reviewed yet — treat it as neutral and check the usage notes above.