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brass-knuckled

adjective brass-knuck·led

Definition of brass-knuckled

:inclined to or exhibiting aggression, hostility, or combativeness
  • Arnault's willingness to wage the sort of highly publicized, brass-knuckled takeover battle formerly anathema to European executives has a lot to do with the U.S. market.
  • —Dana Thomas, et al., Newsweek,  5 Apr. 1999

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First Known Use of brass-knuckled

1905

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