take a knife to a gunfight

A form of bring a knife to a gunfight — To enter into a confrontation or other challenging situation without being adequately equipped or prepared.

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Meanings

verbtake a knife to a gunfight (third-person singular simple present takes a knife to a gunfight, present participle taking a knife to a gunfight, simple past took a knife to a gunfight, past participle taken a knife to a gunfight)

present singular third person takes a knife to a gunfight · participle present taking a knife to a gunfight · past took a knife to a gunfight · participle past taken a knife to a gunfight

  1. alternativeAlternative form of bring a knife to a gunfight.
Cite this entry
APA

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

MLA

“take a knife to a gunfight.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/take%20a%20knife%20to%20a%20gunfight. Accessed November 5, 2026.

Chicago

WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “take a knife to a gunfight,” accessed November 5, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/take%20a%20knife%20to%20a%20gunfight.

Source: take a knife to a gunfight on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.