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Glite Dictionary
to come to blows

to come to blows

8 6.5
To start fighting physically with someone after an argument
  • phrasal verb
: llegar a las manos
  • After a long argument about the best pizza toppings, they finally came to blows in the middle of the street.
  • almost come to blows

And the distinction is not just that, you know, we haven't come to blows, but.

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Examples

  • Two fellows in the history department—nice guys, both—nearly came to blows last year over Lancaster and York.

    Fiction book (1999)

  • Nick had questioned Andy's sanity, and they came to blows.

    Fiction book (1993)

  • As a result, he almost came to blows with them.

    Academic text (2008)

  • The two had come to blows.

    Fiction book (1991)

  • Now these guys come to blows over a bit of philosophy.

  • They almost came to blows, but all eventually returned to Spain.

    Academic text (2011)

  • It's rare that a disagreement will come to blows without weeks of tension stewing before a critical moment.

    Blog text (7)

  • The competing factions regularly sabotage each other and sometimes come to blows.

    Blog text (27)

  • Before they came to blows, Tip O'Neill, then House speaker, intervened and ushered Wright away.

    Academic text (1990)

  • Tony grabs Quaid's arm, and they're about to come to blows when George defuses the situation.

    Fiction book (1990)

Synonyms

to fight
vsto come to blows
∞ 1.0

To take part in a physical or verbal struggle against someone

refers specifically to beginning a physical confrontation typically after a disagreement
to punch
vsto come to blows
455 1.4

To hit someone or something quickly with a closed fist

focuses on initiating a physical confrontation, which involves more than a single hit
to smack
vsto come to blows
164 3.5

To hit someone or something with an open hand

is about beginning a physical confrontation, not merely one open handed hit
to box
vsto come to blows
47 2.0

To fight another person using the fists, often as a sport

describes starting an unregulated physical confrontation born of disagreement, not sport
to throw down
vsto come to blows
  • Informal
18 7.0

To start a fight or bold competition to show strength

is typically the result of a verbal disagreement, not an initial provocation
to brawl
vsto come to blows
9 4.4

To fight loudly and violently in a public place

is about starting a physical confrontation after an argument, not necessarily public or large
to tussle
vsto come to blows
7 5.3

To fight roughly with another person at close range

refers to starting a physical confrontation after disagreement, not just brief contact
to scuffle
vsto come to blows
4 5.1

To fight briefly at close range by pushing or grabbing

is about starting a physical confrontation after an argument, not merely chaotic contact
to fistfight
vsto come to blows
1 4.1

To hit another person with your bare hands in a fight

is about starting a physical confrontation regardless of how people use their hands
to fly at each other
vsto come to blows
  • Informal
7.4

People suddenly fight or shout at each other with strong anger

describes starting a physical confrontation after an argument, often less sudden

Antonyms

to make peace
89 3.4

To stop arguing and become friendly again

to reconcile
38 5.1

To become friendly again after a disagreement

How Violent

to fight
∞ 1.0
to come to blows
8 6.5
to argue
607 1.1

Surface Forms

come to blows infinitive
came to blows past
coming to blows present participle
comes to blows third person singular
come to blows past participle

Morphology

come + to + blow

The phrase combines 'come' (arrive/reach) + 'to' + 'blows' (strikes), so its meaning 'reach the point of strikes' — i.e. begin fighting — is directly derivable from the constituents. Cross-linguistic parallels (e.g. French venir aux mains, Spanish llegar a las manos) and the standard "come to X" construction make this interpretation accessible to a B1 learner who knows the component words.

Etymology

Come to blows creates a clear picture: after an angry argument people come forward and begin to hit each other, and blows means 'hits'. So when people come to blows today, it means they start a physical fight after a disagreement.