(be) spoiling for
idiom
: to have a strong desire for (something, such as a fight)
They are spoiling for an argument.
The team is spoiling for a rematch.
Examples of (be) spoiling for in a Sentence
Recent Examples on the Web
Third, in December, Assad’s regime suddenly collapsed, and the rebels who took over have not seemed to be spoiling for a fight with Israel.
—
Zack Beauchamp, Vox, 23 June 2025
The threat of primaries is real for incumbents, activists are spoiling for a fight, and donors are still pissy after last year’s disappointing showing that put Trump back in power.
—Philip Elliott, Time, 23 June 2025
Mass incarceration, which swept the country in the late twentieth century, rested on the assumption that a person spoiling for a fight with another person was weighing costs: that the difference between ten years and twenty-five would matter.
—Malcolm Gladwell, New Yorker, 2 June 2025
Many in the party were spoiling for a shutdown fight and feel that Schumer sold them out.
—Jonathan Easley, The Hill, 17 Mar. 2025
See All Example Sentences for (be) spoiling for
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Zack Beauchamp, Vox, 23 June 2025
The threat of primaries is real for incumbents, activists are spoiling for a fight, and donors are still pissy after last year’s disappointing showing that put Trump back in power.
—Philip Elliott, Time, 23 June 2025
Mass incarceration, which swept the country in the late twentieth century, rested on the assumption that a person spoiling for a fight with another person was weighing costs: that the difference between ten years and twenty-five would matter.
—Malcolm Gladwell, New Yorker, 2 June 2025
Many in the party were spoiling for a shutdown fight and feel that Schumer sold them out.
—Jonathan Easley, The Hill, 17 Mar. 2025
See All Example Sentences for (be) spoiling for
Cite this Entry
“(be) spoiling for.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/%28be%29%20spoiling%20for. Accessed 7 Jul. 2025.
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