cross swords

Example Sentences

Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.

Zohran Mamdani, the young star of the US left, started his first day as New York mayor on Thursday for a term sure to see him cross swords with President Donald Trump.

From Barron's • Jan. 1, 2026

Because of their ubiquity, on the island and globally, foxes are a cute, however curious, choice over which to cross swords.

From Seattle Times • Aug. 4, 2023

“The Defiant Ones” remained one of Mr. Poitier’s favorite films, but to get the part he had to cross swords with Samuel Goldwyn, who was assembling a cast for “Porgy and Bess.”

From New York Times • Jan. 7, 2022

"Magritte wanted to cross swords, meaning to engage in a theoretical combat with the philosophers, to prove to them that images can express thoughts in the same way that words can," Ottinger said.

From Reuters • Sep. 22, 2016

I wanted very much to cross swords with Percy Yutar, but it was more important that I use the platform to highlight our grievances.

From "Long Walk to Freedom" by Nelson Mandela