gun for

gun for idiom
  1. Pursue relentlessly so as to overcome or destroy. For example, He was sure they were gunning for him and asked for police protection, or The senator felt that the reporters were gunning for him with that article about his brother. [Slang; late 1800s]
  2. Go after in earnest, try hard to obtain. For example, He's been gunning for a raise all year. [Slang; mid-1900s]

The American Heritage® Dictionary of Idioms by Christine Ammer. Copyright © 2003, 1997 by The Christine Ammer 1992 Trust. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. All rights reserved.

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