to take up the cudgels
Preserved but no longer current.
Meaning · English
To maintain an argument or position. To fight, as with a cudgel, for one's own way.
Era: ca. 1898 (Victorian)
Sources & notes
Reproduced from Brewer’s Dictionary of Phrase and Fable (1898 edition, public domain; archive.org, retrieved 2026-07-31; OCR text, minor errors possible). Reflects the scholarship and attitudes of its era.
Common questions
What does “to take up the cudgels” mean?
To maintain an argument or position. To fight, as with a cudgel, for one's own way.
Is “to take up the cudgels” formal or informal?
No register label has been reviewed yet — treat it as neutral and check the usage notes above.