get one's claws out

English

Pronunciation
  • Audio (AU)(file)

Verb

get one's claws out

  1. (of an animal with claws) To prepare to attack or retaliate
    That cat will always get its claws out when it sees a mouse.
  2. (of a person, idiomatic) To prepare to attack or retaliate
    You'd better watch out: she's got her claws out for you.

Usage notes

When said of a person, the phrase is usually applied to a woman and the attack is typically verbal or indirect, such as a harming someone socially.

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