fight shy of

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Idioms and Phrases

Avoid meeting or confronting someone, as in “I have ... had to fight shy of invitations that would exhaust time and spirits” (Washington Irving, Life and Letters , 1821). This usage may allude to a military reluctance to meet or engage with the enemy. [Late 1700s]

Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023

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