(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

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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 It’s never been more clear that the Democratic Party—both activist and rank-and-file wings alike—is spoiling for a fight. Philip Elliott, TIME, 19 Mar. 2025 But the Administration is clearly spoiling for a fight. Ruth Marcus, The New Yorker, 18 Mar. 2025 See All Example Sentences for (be) spoiling for

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“(be) spoiling for.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/%28be%29%20spoiling%20for. Accessed 10 Jun. 2025.

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