tooth and nail

adverb

: with every available means : all out
fight tooth and nail

Examples of tooth and nail in a Sentence

I'll fight tooth and nail to win the finals.
Recent Examples on the Web Either way, by forcing voters to fight tooth and nail just to have a shot at fair representation in their own state legislatures, North Carolina Republicans have already won. Matt Ford, The New Republic, 26 Oct. 2023 Oh’s character is also fighting tooth and nail for Mrs Lee’s right to late-life dignity. Jessica Kiang, Variety, 8 Oct. 2023 Guys used to fight tooth and nail for that to drive those runs in. Jack Harris, Los Angeles Times, 29 Sep. 2023 No bright lights For a long time, the Colts fought tooth and nail for more opportunities in prime time, justifiably frustrated by the NFL’s reluctance to put Indianapolis on its biggest stages. The Indianapolis Star, 12 May 2023 Over the past month, before the planet reached the hottest week recorded ever, at least 25 Texans have died in the sweltering heat (all constituents of Ted Cruz, who is fighting tooth and nail to turn the heat up more). Tori Otten, The New Republic, 14 July 2023 What probably doesn’t make a ton of sense is to fight tooth and nail for the 10th seed, where the Jazz currently stand. Andy Larsen, The Salt Lake Tribune, 31 Dec. 2022 Other early-aughts trends the elder Hadid has been (at least partially) responsible for reviving include ultra-low-rise jeans, which millennials have been fighting tooth and nail for nearly a decade now, and the teeny, tiny going-out top, made iconic when worn by Keira Knightley in 2003. Kathleen Walsh, Glamour, 7 July 2023 Russian President Vladimir Putin refuses to back down — despite what many diplomats say was a severe underestimation of the Ukrainian people, who have fought tooth and nail to save their country and their livelihoods. Virginia Chamlee, Peoplemag, 29 May 2023 See More

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'tooth and nail.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Word History

First Known Use

1550, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of tooth and nail was in 1550

Dictionary Entries Near tooth and nail

Cite this Entry

“Tooth and nail.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/tooth%20and%20nail. Accessed 3 Dec. 2023.

Kids Definition

tooth and nail

adverb
: as hard as one can
fighting tooth and nail
Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
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