knife fight

• Combat physique ou bagarre dans laquelle des couteaux sont utilisés comme armes, impliquant souvent une lutte dangereuse à courte distance. Peut aussi être utilisé métaphoriquement pour décrire une situation extrêmement compétitive, impitoyable ou brutale.

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.

   combat au couteau

   • 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.

   combat au couteau

   • 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.