pick a fight
idiom
: to deliberately start a fight with someone
It would be foolish to pick a fight with that guy.
Examples of pick a fight in a Sentence
Recent Examples on the Web
All of the original defendants were charged with conspiracy to riot, and prosecutors portrayed them as an organized, malicious force that came to San Diego to pick a fight with supporters of former President Donald Trump, just three days after the Capitol insurrection.
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Will Carless, USA TODAY, 4 May 2024
Take the high road if someone tries to pick a fight.
—Eugenia Last, The Mercury News, 30 Mar. 2024
The last thing Miranda needed during this period of stress and fear was responsibility for a dog ready to pick a fight with every stray leaf in his path.
—David Frum, The Atlantic, 21 Mar. 2024
Lower-ranking chimps are sometimes wary of coming inside with more dominant chimps, who might steal or pick a fight over the rewards.
—Emily Anthes Emil T. Lippe, New York Times, 8 Aug. 2023
Each time, over the course of the evening, the wife begins trying to pick a fight with her husband.
—Amy Dickinson, Anchorage Daily News, 23 June 2023
Time will tell if that is enough to push an angry Freedom Caucus member to pick a fight with the speaker.
—Joey Garrison, USA TODAY, 1 June 2023
Alexander Bick, who was director for Syria in President Barack Obama’s National Security Council, said that Russia may have political reasons to pick a fight now.
—Eric Schmitt, New York Times, 26 Aug. 2020
Time will tell if that is enough to push an angry Freedom Caucus member to pick a fight with the speaker.
—Joey Garrison, USA TODAY, 1 June 2023
Will Carless, USA TODAY, 4 May 2024
Take the high road if someone tries to pick a fight.
—Eugenia Last, The Mercury News, 30 Mar. 2024
The last thing Miranda needed during this period of stress and fear was responsibility for a dog ready to pick a fight with every stray leaf in his path.
—David Frum, The Atlantic, 21 Mar. 2024
Lower-ranking chimps are sometimes wary of coming inside with more dominant chimps, who might steal or pick a fight over the rewards.
—Emily Anthes Emil T. Lippe, New York Times, 8 Aug. 2023
Each time, over the course of the evening, the wife begins trying to pick a fight with her husband.
—Amy Dickinson, Anchorage Daily News, 23 June 2023
Time will tell if that is enough to push an angry Freedom Caucus member to pick a fight with the speaker.
—Joey Garrison, USA TODAY, 1 June 2023
Alexander Bick, who was director for Syria in President Barack Obama’s National Security Council, said that Russia may have political reasons to pick a fight now.
—Eric Schmitt, New York Times, 26 Aug. 2020
Time will tell if that is enough to push an angry Freedom Caucus member to pick a fight with the speaker.
—Joey Garrison, USA TODAY, 1 June 2023
These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'pick a fight.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.
Dictionary Entries Near pick a fight
Cite this Entry
“Pick a fight.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/pick%20a%20fight. Accessed 17 May. 2024.
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