pick a fight

US/ˌpɪk ə ˈfaɪt/

verb

To deliberately provoke someone into fighting.

Similar
pick a quarrel
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Meanings

verbpick a fight (third-person singular simple present picks a fight, present participle picking a fight, simple past and past participle picked a fight)

present singular third person picks a fight · participle present picking a fight · participle past picked a fight · past picked a fight · alternative pick fights

  1. idiomaticinformalTo deliberately provoke someone into fighting.

    Synonyms: pick a quarrel

Synonyms & antonyms

verbTo deliberately provoke someone into fighting.

Similar
pick a quarrel
Also see
pick a quarrel

Translations

Ancient Greek ἅπτομαι μάχης
  • ἅπτομαι μάχης (háptomai mákhēs)Translations
Finnish haastaa riitaa
  • haastaa riitaaTranslations
German Streit suchen
  • Streit suchenTranslations
Italian attaccare briga
  • attaccare brigaTranslations
Portuguese procurar briga, comprar brigar
  • procurar brigaTranslations
  • comprar brigarTranslations
Spanish buscar una pelea, provocar una pelea
  • buscar una peleaTranslations
  • provocar una peleaTranslations
  • iniciar una peleaTranslations
Vietnamese cà khịa
  • cà khịaTranslations
Cite this entry
APA

pick a fight. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 5, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/pick%20a%20fight

MLA

“pick a fight.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/pick%20a%20fight. Accessed November 5, 2026.

Chicago

WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “pick a fight,” accessed November 5, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/pick%20a%20fight.

Source: pick a fight on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.