skirmish with

skirmish with (someone or something)

1. noun A minor or short-lived fight, battle, conflict, or dispute with another person, country, group, military force, etc. Tom's skirmish with that guy in the pub landed both of them in jail. Our forces entered into a skirmish with rebels on the outskirts of the city. The country has been locked in an economic skirmish with its neighbors to the north over their plan to increase tariffs on imports.
2. verb To engage or enter into such a fight, battle, conflict, or dispute with someone, some group, or some country. Jack was expelled from school for skirmishing with some of the other boys in his class. The senator has been skirmishing with members of his own party recently over the issue of tax reform.
See also: skirmish
Farlex Dictionary of Idioms.

skirmish with someone or something

to have a minor fight with someone, a group, or something. Tim skirmished a bit with his brother and then ran into the house. I don't want to skirmish with the committee.
See also: skirmish
McGraw-Hill Dictionary of American Idioms and Phrasal Verbs.
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References in classic literature
The festivities were delayed awaiting the return of the warriors who had remained to engage in the skirmish with the white men, so that it was quite late when all were in the village, and the dance of death commenced to circle around the doomed officer.
Tarzan of the Apes
On if there was a possibility of a skirmish with China and Pakistan, he said there was no such possibility with China, saying, "I do not foresee this as we have got robust mechanisms which are in place.
India gave befitting reply to Pakistan after beheading incident, claims Gen Bikram Singh
Provoking a skirmish with India may be part of a deliberate strategy to teach India a lesson, they added.
Combative China rings alarm bells
The North said it was merely "reacting to the military provocation of the puppet group with a prompt powerful physical strike," and accused Seoul of starting the skirmish with its "reckless military provocation as firing dozens of shells inside the territorial waters of the" North.
Artillery battle raises tensions in Korea
A security personnel of Frontier Corps has also reported to be martyred in the skirmish with the terrorists.
15 terrorists died in skirmishes with security forces in Orakzai-Agency SWAT,
Since a naval skirmish with South Korea last November, North Korea has reinforced defense near the western sea border and increased drills near the area, according to the ministry's report.
N. Korea deploys rocket launchers near sea border with South
11 (ANI): South Korean troops went on high alert on Wednesday in anticipation of a possible retaliation by North Korea after one of its navy ships was nearly destroyed in a skirmish with the South the day before.
South Korea on high alert after navy battle with North Korea