no quarter

idiom

literary

: no pity or mercy

—used to say that an enemy, opponent, etc., is treated in a very harsh way

The soldiers showed/gave no quarter to the enemy.

Examples of no quarter in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web Angelos, the pugnacious negotiator whose tenacity resulted in billions of dollars worth of class-action settlements for those harmed by asbestos and tobacco, gave no quarter in his dealings with Major League Baseball leaders. —

Childs Walker, Baltimore Sun, 1 Feb. 2024 However, no quarter may begin after midnight and no game may continue past 12:30 a.m. —

Ben Thomas | Bthomas@al.com, al, 21 Aug. 2023 Linebacker Patrick Queen moved with purpose and force, giving no quarter when Commanders players wanted to scuffle. —

Brian Wacker, Baltimore Sun, 17 Aug. 2023 However, John Carroll offered no quarter in the second half – scoring five goals and coasting to its first title in 11 years. —

Evan Dudley, al, 26 Jan. 2023 However, John Carroll offered no quarter in the second half – scoring five goals and coasting to its first title in 11 years. —

Evan Dudley, al, 26 Jan. 2023 Santa Anna did indeed signal that his force of more than a thousand would give no quarter. —

Rich Lowry, National Review, 20 July 2021 For the battle against sparrows, the people were told to give no quarter and to use all available means. —

Longreads, 23 Mar. 2021 The problem is that the key segment of the PCSK9 protein is largely flat, providing no quarter for small-molecule drugs that might bind to its surface and shut it down. —

Damian Garde, STAT, 13 Jan. 2021

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'no quarter.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.