get one's claws out

verb

To prepare to attack or retaliate

“You'd better watch out: she's got her claws out for you.”

Ask AI about this wordChatGPTClaudePerplexityGoogle AIGrok

Meanings

verbget 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)

present singular third person gets one's claws out · participle present getting one's claws out · past got one's claws out · UK participle past got one's claws out · US participle past gotten one's claws out

  1. To prepare to attack or retaliate

    That cat will always get its claws out when it sees a mouse.

  2. idiomaticTo prepare to attack or retaliate

    You'd better watch out: she's got her claws out for you.

Cite this entry
APA

get one's claws out. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 5, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/get%20one's%20claws%20out

MLA

“get one's claws out.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/get%20one's%20claws%20out. Accessed November 5, 2026.

Chicago

WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “get one's claws out,” accessed November 5, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/get%20one's%20claws%20out.

Source: get one's claws out on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.