duke it out

duke it out (third-person singular simple present dukes it out, present participle duking it out, simple past and past participle duked it out)

1. (informal) To fight, especially with the fists.

   A large crowd came to watch the boxers duke it out.

2. (informal) To argue heavily or at length.

   The candidates duked it out on the proposal for hours.

   • 2007 January 29, Michael Barbaro, Julie Creswell, “Levi’s Turns to Suing Its Rivals”, in The New York Times‎, →ISSN:

     Like pharmaceutical companies that sue generic drug makers over their patents or technology companies that duke it out over who owns the right to microchip designs, Levi’s says it is trying to protect its most valuable asset, its trademarks.

   • 2022 July 12, Kate Conger, Lauren Hirsch, “Twitter Sues Musk After He Tries Backing Out of $44 Billion Deal”, in The New York Times‎, →ISSN:

     Twitter and Mr. Musk have assembled legal teams to duke it out.

• duke out

• fight it out
• put up one's dukes