take someone/something to the mat

/tˈeɪk sˈʌmwɒn slˈaʃ sˈʌmθɪŋ tə ðə mˈat/

/tˈeɪk sˈʌmwʌn slˈæʃ sˈʌmθɪŋ tə ðə mˈæt/

[phrase]

to take someone/something to the mat

[PHRASE]

to engage in a quarrel or argument with someone or something

Examples

1. We're able to take someone with absolutely no pistol or firearms experience and make them quite good shooters and successful through the program.

2. The tragic death of our good friend Tom at age 29 reminded us yet again that the good die young, and how unfair life can be to take someone so young with so much promise.

3. If you are building a pipeline that shuttles them from one place to another and you're doing that by claiming eminent domain so that you can take someone else's property, you better be pretty sure that you can do it without getting sued.

4. If it is way out of our way to take someone to the airport.