en garde
Swords at ready
En garde is a fencing command meaning "on guard"—the call to assume a defensive stance before a bout begins.
The French phrase appears in English contexts related to fencing and, more broadly, as a warning to be alert or ready for confrontation: En garde! The duel begins at dawn.
Sometimes used playfully before any competition or challenge.
Defeat a plan
- epeeFencing blade
- sabreCurved single-edged sword
- parryDefensive blade deflection
- riposteSwift clever reply
lunge · touché · piste · bout · disengage · fleche · advance · retreat
Prearranged one-on-one combat
- confrontationDirect hostile encounter
- face-offDirect clash between opponents
- showdownDecisive final confrontation
- opponentOne who contends against
adversary · contest · rivalry · stand-off · challenge · clash · bout · match
Active mental awareness
- preparednessState of being equipped
- stanceStanding posture or viewpoint
- anticipationState of awaiting something
- awarenessState of perceiving reality
attentiveness · watchfulness · poised · braced · primed · vigilance · caution · wariness
foil
Defeat a plan
riposte · lunge · touché · piste · bout · disengage · fleche · advance · retreat · counterattack
duel
Prearranged one-on-one combat
- confrontationDirect hostile encounter
- face-offDirect clash between opponents
- showdownDecisive final confrontation
opponent · adversary · contest · rivalry · stand-off · challenge · clash · bout · match · competition
alertness
Active mental awareness
- preparednessState of being equipped
- stanceStanding posture or viewpoint
- anticipationState of awaiting something
awareness · attentiveness · watchfulness · poised · braced · primed · vigilance · caution · wariness
- fighting wordsfight me, bring it, square up, throw hands, step outside
- combat drillsbayonet charge, combat stance, military drill, precision drill, basic training
- Duelingduel, duels, dueling, duelist, pistols at dawn
- fencingsabre, foil, epee, parry, riposte
- fighting stancesfighting stance, orthodox stance, southpaw stance, defensive stance, karate stance
- swordplayfencer, swordsman, sword fighting, swordsmanship, parry
en gardesurrender
Cease resistance, yield
I yield · stand down · at ease · touché · white flag
en gardeoff guard
Not prepared for something
unguarded · at ease · stand down · relaxed · unprepared
guard, regard, engage, engaged, engaging, safeguard, engagement, vanguard, on guard