Showing results for tilt at windmills. Search instead for tilted+at+windmills.

Definitions

tilt at windmills

VERB

attack imaginary enemy

Synonyms

WEAK

get nowhere run in circles waste one's effort

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.

Driven by Ma's force of personality, Alibaba was able to tilt at windmills, said Duncan Clark, managing director of Beijing-based tech advisory BDA and a former consultant for Alibaba.

From Reuters • Jun. 8, 2014

Cumani is simply not the sort of trainer to tilt at windmills.

From The Guardian • Jul. 7, 2011

But you also lose a bit of the edge that leads you to tilt at windmills.

From Time • Mar. 4, 2010

As Einstein's example makes clear, very smart people sometimes tilt at windmills.

From Time Magazine Archive

"But, Gregory, it makes no difference ... the argument is settled, let platform orators like Bryan tilt at windmills all they may."

From Tramping on Life An Autobiographical Narrative by Kemp, Harry