English Idioms for "Violence"

Master English idioms regarding violence, like "come to blows" and "knuckle sandwich".

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to [beat|bash] {one's} brains (in|out) [phrase]

to hit a person in the head so much that they die or get seriously injured

Ex: The gang of thugs cornered the unfortunate individual and proceeded to beat his brains in , leaving him in critical condition .

to [take] {sb} for a ride [phrase]

to deliberately kill a person

Ex:

to [lay] a (finger|hand) on {sb/sth} [phrase]

to try to hurt a person physically or damage something in any slight way

Ex: Despite the heated argument , she made sure not to lay a hand on her sibling during their disagreement .

knuckle sandwich [noun]

used to refer to a punch that is hit in a person's mouth

Ex: During the boxing match , the champion delivered a powerful punch to his opponent , essentially serving him a metaphorical knuckle sandwich .

to [knock] {one's} block off [phrase]

to severely beat someone, often said as a threat

Ex:

to [have] a go [phrase]

to attack a person or place in order to kill or destroy them

Ex: The aggressive dog had a go at the mailman as he approached the front gate .

to [clean] {one's} clock [phrase]

to hit a person harshly during a fight or conflict

Ex:

to [beat] {sb} to a pulp [phrase]

to keep hitting a person to the point of severe injury

Ex:

to [beat] the (pants|socks) off {sb} [phrase]

to easily win over an opponent or badly defeat them in a competition or contest

Ex:

to [whale] on {sb/sth} [phrase]

to violently or forcefully hit a person or thing many times

Ex: The security guard had to use force to subdue the unruly protester who was whaling on the building 's entrance .

to [trade] punches [phrase]

(of people) to use their fists in order to hit each other during a fight or competition

Ex: In the schoolyard fight , the two students traded punches until a teacher intervened to stop the altercation .

to [come] to blows [phrase]

(of two or more people) to get into a serious verbal argument or begin attacking each other physically because of a prior disagreement

Ex: The disagreement between the two political leaders came to blows as they physically confronted each other during a televised debate .

to [make] mincemeat (out|) of {sb/sth} [phrase]

to strongly beat and overcome someone or something through physical force

Ex: The bouncer had to step in when two patrons started to fight , and he quickly made mincemeat of the troublemakers .

to [beat|knock] the (living|) daylights out of {sb} [phrase]

to physically attack someone with a great deal of force, causing them harm or injury

Ex: If you do n't stop harassing her , her brother will come and beat the living daylights out of you .

to [lay] a glove on {sb/sth} [phrase]

to physically hit someone, particularly while wearing boxing gloves

Ex: The skilled martial artist 's training enabled her to swiftly counter her opponent 's attacks , making it nearly impossible for him to lay a glove on her .

to [be] in the wars [phrase]

to sustain injuries as the result of an accident or fight

Ex: John had a rough week dealing with family problems and work stress ; he looked like he 'd been in the wars .

Danger
Cautiousness	Posing a Risk	Out of Danger	Taking Too Much Risk
Danger & Threat	Asking for Trouble	Conflict & War	Violence
Death