Cut and thrust

He never got used to the cut and thrust of political debate.

He likes the cut and thrust, the falls, bruises, and dry blows of an argument: as to any good or useful results that may come of the amicable settling of it, any one is welcome to them for him.

Several cabinet ministers, including Nadine Dorries and Michael Gove, have since defended the remarks, however, with the justice secretary, Dominic Raab, calling it part of the “cut and thrust” of parliamentary debate.

This might all simply be the cut and thrust of business.

For quotations using this term, see Citations:cut and thrust.