the knives are out

the knives are out

1. (informal, chiefly Britain) People are angry.

Often used with for: the knives are out for someone, i.e. people are angry at someone.

• the gloves are off
• at daggers drawn

• “the knives are out” in the Cambridge English Dictionary, Cambridge: Cambridge University Press.
• “the knives are out” (US) / “the knives are out” (UK) in Macmillan English Dictionary.
• “the knives are out” in the Collins English Dictionary
• “the knives are out for somebody” in Longman Dictionary of Contemporary English, Longman.
• “the knives are out” in Merriam–Webster Online Dictionary.