to compete against someone or something for first or highest position.

Will the rest of the country find these teams interesting enough to watch them slug it out on TV for seven games?

Two new mystery novels are slugging it out in the bookstores.

Related vocabulary: fight it out, duke it out

Etymology: based on the literal meaning of slug it out (= to fight, esp. by hitting with the hands)

• put someone on the right track
• put someone on the shelf
• put someone on the spot
• put someone out of action
• put someone out of its misery
• put someone out of mind
• put someone out of misery
• put someone out of their misery
• put someone out of your mind
• put someone out to pasture
• put someone over knee
• put someone over the top
• put someone over your knee
• put someone's back up
• put someone's mind at ease
• put someone's mind at rest
• put someone's nose out of joint
• put someone through
• put someone through hell
• put someone through hoops
• put someone through paces
• put someone through something
• put someone through their paces
• put someone through the mill
• put someone through the wringer