| duke it out to compete against someone or something. The airlines are duking it out, offering better service and cheaper fares as a way of attracting passengers. Usage notes: often used in newspaper writing to describe competition between political candidates: Candidates are still duking it out in state primaries, with no one the clear winner yet. Related vocabulary: fight it out, slug it out Etymology: based on the slang meaning of duke (= to hit or fight someone with your hands) |