a bone of contention

Register · Neutral Neutral — appropriate in most situations, both spoken and written, without sounding too casual or too stiff. CEFR B2

Post

Example

“Whether to move offices has been a bone of contention for months.”

Dictionary details

Tags

Expressions connected by reviewed component words or topic tags.

bury the hatchet Neutral · CEFR B1

to reconcile with someone and bring a quarrel to an end

kiss and make up Neutral · CEFR B1

to reconcile and become friendly again after an argument

mend fences Neutral · CEFR B1

to rebuild friendly relations after a dispute

it takes two to tango Neutral · CEFR B2

both parties are responsible for a situation

keep the peace Neutral · CEFR B2

to prevent conflict and maintain calm between people or groups

save face Neutral · CEFR B2

to protect one's dignity or public reputation after embarrassment or failure

Source methodology

Meanings, register, CEFR, and examples come from the reviewed dictionary record. Expression notes may describe a reviewed present-day word picture or a background note; they are not presented as verified etymology.

markdown