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Synonyms

take up arms

Idioms  

  1. Also, take up the cudgels. Become involved in a conflict, either physical or verbal, as in The Kurds took up arms against the Iranians at least two centuries ago, or Some believe it's the vice-president's job to take up the cudgels for the president. The first term originated in the 1400s in the sense of going to war. The variant, alluding to cudgels as weapons, has been used figuratively since the mid-1600s and is probably obsolescent.

Example Sentences

Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.

Many who had never held a weapon before rushed to take up arms.

From BBC

"In the country's most difficult time, Kozubenko took up arms to defend his native land," the Ukrainian Sports Comittee said when announcing his death.

From BBC

Another survey found 59% said they probably or definitely wouldn’t take up arms to defend their country.

From The Wall Street Journal

Journal cameras went inside the homes of LRU members to understand why regular Lithuanian citizens would take up arms and dedicate their free evenings and weekends to prepare for war.

From The Wall Street Journal

Prosecutors are seeking a 34-year jail term for Castillo, who previously said he never took up arms against the state because the military refused his orders.

From BBC

Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023

Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.