From Longman Dictionary of Contemporary Englishfight tooth and nailfight tooth and nailFIGHT FOR OR AGAINST somethingto try with a lot of effort or determination to do something We fought tooth and nail to get these plans accepted. → tooth
Examples from the Corpus
fight tooth and nail• He would also fight tooth and nail to keep her from the likes of Tommy Allen.• Legislation aimed at forcing the power firms to clean up their act is being fought tooth and nail by the polluters.• He fought tooth and nail for 15 months before going to sleep one final night last week.• They fought tooth and nail through an initial series of leagues and finished in seven knockout matches.• They fought tooth and nail to protect the solicitors' monopoly of conveyancing but eventually compromised by not objecting to licensed conveyancers.• We had to fight tooth and nail to get the government to admit they were wrong. 