Synonyms

tooth and nail

American

adverb

with all one's resources or energy; fiercely.

We fought tooth and nail but lost.

tooth and nail Cultural

To fight “tooth and nail” is to fight with the intensity and ferocity of a wild animal: “The resistance forces fought the invading troops tooth and nail.”

Etymology

Origin of tooth and nail

First recorded in 1525–35

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.

I'd fought tooth and nail to keep him and, back fit again, he was tearing us up the table in what is now League One, scoring some spectacular goals.

From BBC

"You became an investigator, tracking down witnesses. You became an expert in the law in that field. And you fought your own case tooth and nail."

From BBC

ConocoPhillips is the country’s largest nonsovereign creditor and has been fighting tooth and nail to recoup the roughly $12 billion it is still owed.

From The Wall Street Journal

“They will fight tooth and nail over everything.”

From Barron's

"We had to fight tooth and nail for that result," said Smith.

From Barron's

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