🗓️ Idiom: Free-for-All (n)
💬 Meaning
- A situation with no rules or control, where everyone competes aggressively.
- A chaotic competition where everyone tries to win or get the best deal.
🧠 Example Sentences
- When the market opened to new sellers, it quickly became a free-for-all.
- The online sale turned into a free-for-all with customers fighting for the best discounts.
- Without strong regulation, the cryptocurrency space can feel like a free-for-all.
🏛️ Origin
Originally used to describe chaotic brawls or uncontrolled fights, the idiom “free-for-all” now describes any competitive situation where there are no rules, and everyone fights to get ahead — especially in markets or events.
📝 Practice Exercises
1. Fill in the blank:
As soon as the bidding started, it turned into a __________.
Answer
free-for-all
2. Choose the correct meaning of “free-for-all”:
A) A calm and peaceful situation
B) A fair and slow process
C) A situation where everyone competes without rules
D) A team-building activity
Answer
C) A situation where everyone competes without rules
3. Rewrite the sentence using the idiom:
“Everyone rushed in and started competing without any control.” → Change the sentence using: free-for-all
Answer
Everyone rushed in and started a free for all.