duke it out

phrase

: to engage in a fight and especially a fistfight

Examples of duke it out in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

Staunch slavery opponent John Frémont duked it out with William Gwin, a former plantation owner who sought to cleave off Southern California as its own slave state. — The Week Us, TheWeek, 10 Nov. 2026

In the late 1870s, a pair of competing railroad companies—the Denver & Rio Grande and the Santa Fe—duked it out for the chance to build tracks through this narrow canyon. — Sarah Kuta, Condé Nast Traveler, 4 Nov. 2026

Some of Charlotte’s longest-running restaurants are duking it out in the latest CharlotteFive Readers’ Choice poll to see which classic restaurant comes out on top. — Heidi Finley, Charlotte Observer, 24 Oct. 2026

Two candidates were expected to duke it out next week for a seat on the state’s powerful oil and gas regulatory commission. — New York Times, 16 Oct. 2026

Word History

First Known Use

1965, in the meaning defined above

Rhymes for duke it out

• about
• bailout
• blackout
• blowout
• breakout
• burnout
• buyout
• checkout
• closeout
• cutout
• devout
• dropout