picking fights
Seeking out conflict
Picking fights is deliberately provoking conflict or confrontation, often with people who haven't given offense.
The phrase suggests the aggressor is looking for trouble rather than responding to it: He's always picking fights at bars, Stop picking fights with your sister.
Someone who picks fights may be spoiling for one, seeking an outlet for aggression or frustration.
- provokingCausing a reaction
- looking for troubleActively seeking conflict
- antagonizingDeliberately causing hostility
- instigatingPrompting action to begin
- stirring the potProvoking controversy intentionally
brawling · confrontation · aggressive · hostile · quarreling · baiting · taunting · talking smack · agitating · combative · belligerent · scrappy · troublemaker · hothead · chip on shoulder · spoiling · throwing punches · throwing hands
- provocationbaiting, goading, taunting, incitement, instigation
picking fightskeeping the peace
Maintaining order and calm
walking away · backing down · conflict avoidance · biting one's tongue · de-escalating
picking fightspeacekeeping
Preventing or ending conflict
making peace · peacemaking · mediating · reconciling · building bridges
picking fightsgoing along to get along
Conforming to maintain relationships
accommodating · compromising · yielding · playing nice · appeasing
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