put to the sword

Related to put to the sword: two-edged sword

be put to the sword

To be slain or executed, especially in or as a consequence of war. Scores of villagers were put to the sword by the merciless invaders, and those who survived were left with a ravaged, empty township.
See also: put, sword

put (someone) to the sword

To slay or execute someone, especially in or as a consequence of war. These prisoners will be shown no mercy—we shall put them to the sword before sunrise.
See also: put, sword
Farlex Dictionary of Idioms.

put to the sword

To kill; slay.
See also: put, sword
American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fifth Edition.
See also:
  • be put to the sword
  • put (someone) to the sword
  • put someone to the sword
  • he who lives by the sword dies by the sword
  • he who lives by the sword, dies by the sword
  • competition
  • cutthroat
  • cutthroat competition
  • a cat may look at a king
  • cat can look at a king
References in periodicals archive
All political enemies of Marius were cruelly put to the sword, and the heads of slain senators, consuls, and praetors were put on public exhibit in the forum.
Or that it would be joined by militant Islamist groups, a move once considered unthinkable, since the Left had always regarded Islam as a relic of feudalism and Islamists regard leftists as atheist enemies who should be put to the sword.
In the following century, many Pharisees were put to the sword for their beliefs.
Chelsea's 4-0 rout of Burnley at the weekend was another example of how ruthless the Blues have become under Maurizio Sarri and Crystal Palace could be the next opponent they put to the sword.
True, they were put to the sword twice by ManCity within a week.
It is a game Lee McDermott's squad have been looking forward to since the first game between the pair back in October, when the visitors were comfortably put to the sword 34-5 at Moss Lane.
Scarlets top the Pro12 this term but were put to the sword during a devastating second-half Warriors blitz.
Louis van Gaal's men are still looking for a first competitive win under the Dutchman after two goals apiece from Will Grigg and Benik Afobe saw the Barclays Premier League side put to the sword at stadium:mk.
REIGNING Lowland League champions Spartans put up a valiant fight, but were put to the sword by League One Morton in the first round of the Scottish Petrofac Training Cup.
The patriarch added that Christians were publicly put to the sword after being dispossessed of all belongings and warned against far more worse to come.
REAL MADRID 5 REAL SOCIEDAD 1 CRISTIANO RONALDO notched his second successive hat-trick at the Bernabeu as Real Sociedad became the latest side to be put to the sword by Real Madrid's forward line in a 5-1 mauling.
He accepts that Saturday was simply one of those days where Albion were put to the sword by a rampant opponent - not least Luis Suarez, who produced a wonderful performance.
CRICKET: Teenage batsman Dominic Sibley hit an unbeaten 220 to become the youngest Surrey batsman to make a first-class hundred as Yorkshire were put to the sword on day three of the County Championship Division I clash at the Oval.
Ballance, uncapped by England but in the squad for this month's two Twenty20 fixtures against Australia, reached his century from 81 balls as a Bangladesh A side containing nine full internationals were put to the sword - the captain at one point hitting Mominul Haque for a hat-trick of sixes in an over that cost 24 runs.
But on their second Stag do in a fortnight, Marcus Law's side were put to the sword once again by play-off-chasing Mans-field by virtue of a solitary firsthalf strike.