To exchange blows

Photo of two young men boxing
To exchange blows means that two people are hitting each other during a fight. It can describe a physical fight or a heated argument where both sides attack each other with strong words.

The phrase comes from boxing and other forms of fighting, where a blow is a punch or strike. When opponents exchange blows, each person hits the other in turn.

The two boxers stepped into the ring and began to exchange blows as the crowd cheered.