draw blood

Verb

Meaning

To wound one's opponent in such a way that they bleed.
to draw first blood

(figuratively) To have an injurious effect; to strike home, as a barb or insult.

Examples

The capitalist has no heart, but harpoon him in the pocketbook and you will draw blood. Bill Haywood

I tell students they will know they are getting somewhere when a scene is so painful they can just barely bring themselves to write about it. A writer has to draw blood. Robert Morgan

Dissent, is like a Gurkha's ‘khukri', once it emerges form its sheath it must draw blood before it can be put away again. Shashi Tharoor

I went to school for about 2 years on a technical course, and I learned a lot. I learned about air mixture ratios and all the stuff; I learned how to draw blood. Tom Araya

You cannot draw blood from a turnip. Italian Proverb

One cannot draw blood from a turnip. Irish Proverb

Close letter words and terms