knife fight

• Pelea o combate en el que se utilizan cuchillos como armas, a menudo implicando una lucha peligrosa a corta distancia. También puede usarse metafóricamente para describir una situación altamente competitiva, despiadada o brutal.

A physical confrontation or fight in which knives are used as weapons, often implying a close-quarters, dangerous struggle. Can also be used metaphorically to describe a highly competitive, ruthless, or cutthroat situation.

1. Physical altercation with knivesC1formal

   A violent confrontation in which participants use knives as weapons.

   pelea con cuchillos

   • The movie featured a brutal knife fight in the alley.
   • He was injured in a knife fight outside the bar.
   • Knife fights are extremely dangerous and often fatal.

2. Metaphorical intense conflictC1informal

   A highly competitive or aggressive situation, often in business or politics, where the stakes are very high.

   lucha cuerpo a cuerpo

   • The negotiations turned into a real knife fight over the budget.
   • The election campaign became a political knife fight.
   • In the startup world, the competition for funding can be a knife fight.