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”to pull no punches” : meaning?

Like in the sentense:

"the president pulls no punches" laugh thanks for your help ! 

PS: Find free English learning lessons here: Free training: Christmas Island Timeline — List of words with a silent 'H' — US Outlying Islands Timeline — Adjectives ending in ly

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AussieInBg profile picture AussieInBgAugust 2020
"to pull no punches with sb / about sth - to not hold back, restrain or limit what you might say/do to sb about sth

From memory, the idiom comes from boxing, when someone does not hold back punching someone, i.e. when they throw a punch, it is always to hit, it is not to bluff.

"to pull no punches" tends to be used much more in American English than British English and is usually used informally.
  • vincent profile picture vincentAugust 2020
    In French there is a similar expression when speaking only, I think it's "Ne pas mâcher ses mots"