break a lance

present singular third person breaks a lance · participle present breaking a lance · past broke a lance · participle past broken a lance

1. intransitiveto take a stand, to contend [with for ‘to the benefit of’] [with in favour of ‘to the benefit of’] [with against ‘in opposition to’]

   But over the difficult and important passage 2 Cor 12:1 10 she breaks a lance with me, and a response here may be a testimony to the seriousness with which I treat her comments.

   2003, Paul and the Corinthians: Studies on a Community in Conflict : Essays in Honour of Margaret Thrall, E. J. Brill, →ISBN, page 303

2. Used other than figuratively or idiomatically: see break, a, lance.