tooth and nail

Meaning

This expression means to fight or oppose something with incredible energy, determination, and all resources available. It is commonly paired with verbs like 'fight', 'oppose', or 'struggle' to emphasize that a person or group is resisting something with maximum effort. The tone is intense and serious.

Examples

• Local residents fought tooth and nail to prevent the historic library from being demolished.

  Local residents fought tooth and nail to prevent the historic library from being demolished.

• The university faculty opposed the budget cuts tooth and nail during the senate meeting.

  The university faculty opposed the budget cuts tooth and nail during the senate meeting.

• Both defense attorneys fought tooth and nail to prove their clients' innocence.

  Both defense attorneys fought tooth and nail to prove their clients' innocence.

• Environmental groups are fighting tooth and nail against the new pipeline proposal.

  Environmental groups are fighting tooth and nail against the new pipeline proposal.

• To secure the research grant, the department had to compete tooth and nail with top-tier institutions.

  To secure the research grant, the department had to compete tooth and nail with top-tier institutions.

Common Mistakes

• ✗ They fought with tooth and nail.

  ✓ They fought tooth and nail.

  'Tooth and nail' functions as an adverbial phrase, so adding the preposition 'with' is redundant and grammatically incorrect.

• ✗ She fought teeth and nails for her promotion.

  ✓ She fought tooth and nail for her promotion.

  This idiom is a fixed expression and must remain in the singular form 'tooth and nail'. Do not pluralize the nouns.

Related Expressions

Practice

• The preservation society is fighting ___ to protect the wetland habitat.

  💡 with ultimate effort and determination

  Show answer

  tooth and nail

• We had to fight ___ just to get our research paper peer-reviewed.

  💡 struggle intensely

  Show answer

  tooth and nail