tooth and nail, fight/with

fight tooth and nail

To fight, battle, or compete with great ferocity, vigor, and intensity. I know my brother has fought tooth and nail to be re-elected, so his victory tonight is certainly well earned. These elite troops have been selected by the royal palace to fight tooth and nail against any possible invaders.

See also: and, fight, nail, tooth

tooth and nail

Furiously or fiercely; with all of one's strength and effort. I know my brother has fought tooth and nail to be re-elected, so his victory tonight is certainly well earned. The elite troops have been placed around the perimeter to defend the palace tooth and nail from rioters.

with tooth and nail

Furiously or fiercely; with all of one's strength and effort. I know my brother has fought with tooth and nail to be re-elected, so his victory tonight is certainly well earned. The elite troops have been placed around the perimeter to defend the palace with tooth and nail from rioters.

fight tooth and nail

Engage in vigorous combat or make a strenuous effort, using all one's resources. For example, I'm going to fight tooth and nail for that promotion. This expression, with its allusion to biting and scratching, was first recorded in 1576.

See also: and, fight, nail, tooth

The American Heritage® Dictionary of Idioms by Christine Ammer. Copyright © 2003, 1997 by The Christine Ammer 1992 Trust. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. All rights reserved.

fight tooth and nail

If you fight tooth and nail for something, you fight as hard as you can to get it or achieve it. The independent regions are fighting tooth and nail to keep their special status. Note: You can also say that you fight tooth and claw to achieve something. Environmental groups are fighting tooth and claw to protect these forests. Note: Other verbs such as battle or resist can be used instead of fight. There are 12 League games left. We must battle tooth and nail for every one of them. Note: If you fight something tooth and nail or tooth and claw, you fight as hard as you can to stop it. Opponents of the law vowed to fight it tooth and nail. As a member of the council I fought the proposal tooth and claw.

See also: and, fight, nail, tooth

Collins COBUILD Idioms Dictionary, 3rd ed. © HarperCollins Publishers 2012

fight tooth and nail

fight very fiercely.

See also: and, fight, nail, tooth

fight ˌtooth and ˈnail (for somebody/something/to do something)

fight in a very determined way for what you want: We fought the government tooth and nail to prevent the new road being built. ♢ She’s prepared to fight tooth and nail to get the job.

See also: and, fight, nail, tooth

tooth and nail, fight/with

Fight vigorously, with all one’s resources. The analogy to biting and scratching was drawn by the sixteenth century and has been used ever since for fierce contention or, by extension, effort. Dickens used it in David Copperfield (1850): “I go at it tooth and nail.”