1
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Phrase(s): no holds barred
Fig. with no restraints. (Alludes to a wrestling match in which all holds are legal.) • I intend to argue it out with Mary, no holds barred. • When Ann negotiates a contract, she goes in with no holds barred and comes out with a good contract.
McGrawhill's American Idioms And Phrasal Verbs
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Without any restrictions, as in Telephone companies are entering the market for Internet users with no holds barred. This expression comes from wrestling, where certain holds are illegal, or barred, and has been used figuratively since about 1940.
American Heritage Idioms