Question

Pull No Punches to hit as hard as possible; to attack with full force; to be perfectly honest; to not hold back

Accepted Answer

Tell me what you thought of my acting. Don't pull any punches. This saying came originally from the sport of boxing. If a fighter pulled back on a punch, he held back, didn't hit as hard as he could, and landed a soft blow. By the 1930s this expression was being used about all sorts of activities. If you pulled your punches, you were careful not to hurt anybody. If you pulled no punches, you were completely honest, even if it might hurt someone's feelings.

Idiom	Pull No Punches
Example	Tell me what you thought of my acting. Don't pull any punches.
Meaning	to hit as hard as possible; to attack with full force; to be perfectly honest; to not hold back
Origin	This saying came originally from the sport of boxing. If a fighter pulled back on a punch, he held back, didn't hit as hard as he could, and landed a soft blow. By the 1930s this expression was being used about all sorts of activities. If you pulled your punches, you were careful not to hurt anybody. If you pulled no punches, you were completely honest, even if it might hurt someone's feelings.

Pulled Pull Punches Hit Hard Back Hurt Thought