mortal combat
"Mortal combat" originates from the concept of a fight to the death and is often used in both literal and figurative contexts to describe intense confrontations.
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Definition
C1Physical Conflict
(formal)A fight where each participant aims to kill the other.
Example
- The duel escalated into mortal combat, with neither side willing to back down.
C1Competition
(figurative)An extremely intense competition where the stakes are very high.
Example
- The championship game felt like mortal combat, with both teams giving their all.
Similar
Terms that have similar or relatively close meanings to "mortal combat":