get one's claws out

English

Pronunciation

• Audio (AU)

  (file)

Verb

get one's claws out (third-person singular simple present gets one's claws out, present participle getting one's claws out, simple past got one's claws out, past participle (UK) got one's claws out or (US) gotten 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.